Once upon a time a collector of bamboo finds a strange, tiny child in a bamboo trunk. He takes her in and brings her up. The child helps him to get rich and happy. She becomes quickly a very beautiful young lady called Kaguyahime, the bright princess.
Five noble gentlemen court her. Kaguyahime gives each one a very mysterious job to do promising she would be prepared to marry the one who will solve his task. She asks the young men to bring her five objects: a buddist stone bowl, a golden branch full of precious stones, the non flammable skin of a fire rat, a bright jewel from a dragon’s eye and the shell of a Kauri snail from a swallow’s nest. All the young men do their very best to solve the tasks but without success.
This information is passed on to the emperor who comes to see Kaguyahime. He falls in love with the princess and wants to marry her but she rejects him as well. But he learns about the girl's supernatural character and stays in contact with Kaguyahime even after being turned down by her. Finally Kaguyahime’s secret is cleared furthermore. She comes form the moon and has to go back now. Kaguyahime leaves the emperor a love poem and a pot containing a drink which gives immortality to the one whose drinking it. The emperor abstains and writes instead a poem, too. He lets this burn together with the food of immortality on the summit of the Mount Fujji.
