The Heavenly Feather Robe

Princess Kaguya and the Emperor exchanged letters, comforting each other, and three years passed. On an early spring night, as Kaguya admired the beautiful moon, she suddenly became unusually sorrowful and lost in deep thought. It was said that looking at the moon could bring misfortune, so her family advised her not to gaze at it. Despite this, Kaguya ignored their warnings, sneaking glances at the moon and quietly weeping.

On the night of the full moon on July 15, Kaguya stood under the eaves, lost in contemplation of the moon. Seeing this, her family informed the bamboo cutter, “Princess Kaguya often laments while looking at the moon. Her behavior has become even more peculiar lately. She must be harboring deep sorrow. We need to pay close attention!”

The bamboo cutter approached Kaguya and said, “What troubles you so much that you gaze at the moon with such sorrow? Your life is full of blessings; you lack nothing.”
Kaguya replied, “No, I don’t have any specific worries or sadness, it’s just that whenever I see the moon, I feel an inexplicable sadness about this world, which dampens my spirits.”
The old man was momentarily reassured. However, one day, when he entered Kaguya’s room, he found her still brooding with a troubled expression. Worried, he asked, “My daughter, what are you thinking about? What troubles you so?”
Kaguya’s response remained the same, “Nothing, I just feel inexplicably unhappy.” The old man then advised, “That’s why I tell you not to look at the moon! Why do you ponder so deeply each time you see it?”
Kaguya answered, “But how can I not look at the moon?” Nevertheless, she continued her routine; whenever the moon rose, she would sit under the eaves, immersed in her thoughts.

Curiously, Kaguya did not brood on moonless nights. On moonlit nights, she would sigh, contemplate, and eventually cry. The servants noticed and whispered among themselves, saying the young lady was lost in thought again. Both the elders and the entire household felt helpless.

As the night of August 15 approached, with a beautiful moon, Kaguya went out to the eaves and began crying loudly. This was unprecedented; she cried uncontrollably, heedless of those around her. The grandparents were terrified and repeatedly asked her the reason. Kaguya, through tears, responded:
“Truly, I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. I feared that it would upset you, so I kept silent until now. However, I can no longer keep it to myself. At this moment, I must reveal everything. My body does not belong to this world. I am from the Moon, and due to some past karma, I was sent here. Now, the time has come for my return. On the fifteenth of this month, people from my homeland will come to take me back. It’s inevitable. I’m sorry to cause you sorrow, which has troubled me since this spring.”

The bamboo cutter, hearing this, exclaimed, “What is this all about! I found you in a bamboo stalk when you were no bigger than a sprout. What now? You’ve grown as tall as me. Who is coming to fetch you? No, this can’t be happening!”
He began to weep loudly, saying, “If so, I might as well die!”

But Kaguya said, “I belong to the Moon, where my real parents are. I was only meant to stay here for a very short time, but it ended up being many years. Now, I don’t miss my parents on the Moon much; I feel much more attached here. I’m not happy about returning to the Moon; rather, it fills me with sadness. It’s not that my feelings have changed; it’s just that I have no choice but to go.”

Thus, Kaguya and the old man cried together. The maids, who had been with Kaguya for a long time, revered her for her noble and beautiful character. Hearing of the impending separation, they were overwhelmed with grief, unable to eat, only sighing in sorrow.

The Emperor, learning of these events, sent an envoy to the bamboo cutter’s house. The old man met the envoy but could only weep without speaking. Overwhelmed by grief, his hair turned white, his back bent, and his eyes swelled. Although he was only fifty years old (previously mentioned as seventy, likely a mistake by the author), his heartache aged him suddenly.

The envoy conveyed the Emperor’s message: “I’ve heard that Princess Kaguya has been frequently sorrowful and lamenting, is that true?”
The old man, tearful, responded, “I am deeply grateful for the Emperor’s concern, truly undeserving! On the fifteenth of this month

, beings from the Moon will come to fetch Kaguya. I would like to request the Emperor to send a large force. If those beings from the Moon come, we should capture them. Is that possible?”

The envoy returned to the palace and reported the old man’s situation and his request in full. The Emperor said, “Having seen Kaguya just once, I cannot forget her to this day. How much more must the old man suffer, seeing her daily? If Kaguya is taken away, how will he bear it!”

On the fifteenth of that month, the Emperor commanded the imperial guards to assemble six large armies, totaling two thousand men, and appointed a general named Takano no Taikoku to lead the force to the bamboo cutter’s house.

Once the army arrived, they stationed a thousand men on the earth walls and another thousand on the rooftops. All the male servants were ordered to guard every corner, each armed with a bow and arrow. In the main hall, numerous court ladies were arranged to keep watch diligently. The old lady held Kaguya tightly, hiding in the storehouse. The old man locked the storehouse door and stood guard in front.

The old man said, “With such protection, how can we lose to the heavenly beings?” He then instructed the soldiers on the roof, “If you see anything flying in the sky, even if it’s something small, shoot it down immediately.” The soldiers responded, “With so many of us on guard, even if a bat flies by, we’ll shoot it down and make it dry goods.” The old man, reassured by these words, was very pleased.

However, Kaguya said, “No matter how tightly you lock up or prepare for battle, warfare is useless against the people of that land. First, shooting them with arrows won’t affect them. Moreover, even with such locks, when the people of that land arrive, the locks will automatically unlock. No matter how bravely the people here prepare for battle, once the people from that land arrive, everyone will lose their courage.”

The old man, angered by these words, exclaimed, “Fine, when those people come, I’ll gouge out their eyes with my fingers. I’ll grab their hair, swing their bodies around, then strip off their trousers, making them embarrass themselves in front of many people here!”

Kaguya replied, “Ah, please don’t speak so loudly. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if the soldiers on the roof heard you? I’m sorry for failing to repay your long-time upbringing by abruptly leaving. How happy I would be to stay here longer! But I can’t, and soon I must leave. It’s a sad thing. I’ve been thinking of my parents’ kindness, which I’ve yet to repay, and I’ll be in pain on my way back. That’s why I’ve been going out to the eaves to pray on moonlit nights these past few months, hoping to stay here another year, at least until the end of the year. However, I wasn’t granted permission, so I’ve been so sorrowful. I’m truly sorry for making you worry. The people in the Moon world are very beautiful, and they do not age or suffer. I’m about to go to such a wonderful place, yet I don’t feel happy at all. Instead, leaving you two elderly people, I feel deeply saddened and reluctant to leave.” After saying this, she sobbed quietly.

The old man said, “Ah, don’t talk about such heartbreaking things. No matter how beautiful the person who comes to fetch you, don’t worry.” He resented the people from the Moon world.

As time passed, it was nearly midnight. Suddenly, the surroundings of the bamboo cutter’s house were illuminated, brighter than daylight. The brightness was ten times that of a full moon, making everyone’s pores visible. At that moment, heavenly beings descended on clouds, hovering about five feet above the ground, and lined up in the air. The people of the bamboo cutter’s household, whether outside or inside, were so mesmerized by this spectacle that they lost consciousness and had no will to fight. A few who were somewhat aware knew this couldn’t go on and tried to lift their bows to shoot. However, their arms were weak and immediately dropped. Some particularly stubborn individuals gathered their strength and shot arrows, but they were completely off target. As a result, no one could fight; they all felt dazed and could only look at each other in silence.

At that time, the heavenly beings, arranged five feet above the ground, were incredibly beautiful in appearance and attire, astonishing everyone. They brought a flying chariot, which could travel through the air, covered with a thin, dense canopy. Among these heavenly beings, a commanding figure stepped forward and called out, “Otomo, come here!”

The previously confident bamboo cutter now crawled forward as if drunk, prostrating himself on the ground. The heavenly being said to him, “How foolish you are! Due to

some merits, I temporarily allowed Kaguya to be born in your home. It has been a long time, and you have also obtained much gold. Hasn’t your situation greatly improved, becoming completely different from before? Kaguya, due to a minor offense, was temporarily placed in your lowly place. Now that her offense is cleared, I’ve come to take her back. So, you need not cry or grieve. Come on, quickly bring out Kaguya!”

The old man replied, “You say you temporarily allowed Kaguya to be born in my home. But I have raised her for over twenty years. Perhaps the Kaguya you speak of was born elsewhere.”
He added, “The Kaguya here is seriously ill, lying there, and absolutely cannot go outside.”

The heavenly being didn’t respond to him but pulled the flying chariot onto the roof of the old man’s house, shouting, “Come on, Kaguya! Stop staying in this filthy place!”
At that moment, previously closed doors and windows automatically opened. Kaguya, who was being tightly held by the old lady, gracefully walked out. The old lady tried to hold her back but couldn’t, and could only look up and cry. The old man, helpless, just lay on the ground weeping.

Kaguya approached the old man and said, “Even if I don’t want to go back, I must. Now, please send me off to ascend to heaven.”
The old man said, “How can I be happy sending you off when I’m so grieved? You’re leaving this old man behind to ascend to heaven, what should I do? Please take me with you.” After saying this, he cried and collapsed to the ground. Kaguya was extremely distressed and didn’t know what to do.

Later, she said to the old man, “Then let me write a letter. When you miss me, please take out this letter and read it.” Saying this, she sobbed as she wrote. Her letter stated:
“If I were like ordinary people, born and raised in this land, I would have served my parents until the end of a hundred years, and there would be no sadness today. However, I am not such a person and must leave you, which I deeply regret! Now, I leave my clothes here as a keepsake. Every moonlit night, please look at the moon. Ah! I am leaving you to ascend to heaven, and my heart feels as if it is falling.”

Then, one of the heavenly beings brought a box containing the heavenly feather robe. Another box contained an immortal elixir. The heavenly being said, “This medicine in the jar is for Kaguya to eat. Since she has consumed many impure things on earth, she must be feeling unwell. Eating this medicine will alleviate that.” He then handed the medicine to Kaguya. Kaguya ate a little and stuffed the rest into the clothes she took off, intending to give it to the old man. But the heavenly being stopped her and immediately took out the feather robe, intending to dress her in it.

Kaguya exclaimed, “Please wait a moment!” She added, “Once I put on this robe, my feelings will completely change. I still have some things to say.” She then picked up a pen to write a letter. The heavenly beings, growing impatient, said, “It’s getting late!” Kaguya replied, “Don’t say such inconsiderate things!” and calmly wrote a letter to the Emperor. The letter stated:
“I am deeply grateful for the Emperor sending many people to prevent my ascension, but the will of heaven does not allow human desires to prevail, and they must take me back; there is nothing I can do about it. I deeply regret and am saddened. Previously, the Emperor wanted me to enter the palace, and I refused because of my complicated circumstances, thus I decisively rejected him without considering the Emperor’s disappointment. This was extremely rude, and thinking back today, I am filled with terror.” She ended with a poem:
“As I don the feather robe to ascend,
The thought of my lord brings sorrow.”

She included the immortal elixir from the jar in the letter, which was to be handed to the envoy general. A heavenly being took it to the general, who accepted it. Simultaneously, another heavenly being draped the heavenly feather robe over Kaguya. Once Kaguya wore the robe, she no longer thought of the old man or her sadness. Wearing the robe made her forget all her troubles. Kaguya immediately boarded the flying chariot, pulled by about a hundred heavenly beings, and ascended to heaven. Only the old grandparents were left behind, lamenting and crying, but there was nothing they could do. The letter Kaguya left was read to the old man. He said, “Why should I still cherish this life? Who are we living for now?” He fell ill, refused medication, and never recovered.

The general led his men back to the palace, detailed

the inability to fight the heavenly beings or retain Kaguya, and presented both the elixir jar and Kaguya’s letter. The Emperor, after reading the letter, was overwhelmed with grief, lost his appetite, and stopped all music and festivities.

One day, he gathered the dukes and ministers and asked them, “Which mountain is the closest to heaven?” Someone answered, “The mountain in Suruga Province is the closest to Kyoto and reaches nearly to heaven.” The Emperor then wrote a poem:
“Without Kaguya to see,
What use is the elixir of immortality to me?”

He placed this poem in the jar containing the immortal elixir that Kaguya had sent him and handed it to a messenger named Tsuki Iwa Gasa. The Emperor instructed him to take the poem and the jar to the top of the mountain in Suruga Province and, upon reaching the top, to burn both the poem and the jar together. Tsuki Iwa Gasa, obeying the imperial command, led a large group to the mountain summit and carried out the orders. From then on, this mountain was called “Mount Immortal,” or “Mount Fuji.” The smoke rising from the mountain top still ascends into the clouds, reaching the Moon world, according to ancient legends.