Welcome to this free Yak Yacker graded reader for A2 Japanese learners! Today, we're sharing a simple retelling of one of Japan's oldest and most beloved folktales, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. In this story, you'll meet a kind old bamboo cutter who finds a tiny, shining baby girl inside a glowing bamboo stalk. He and his wife raise her as their own, and she grows into a beautiful young woman who attracts many suitors-but her true origins lie far away, on the moon.
You can read the full story in Japanese at your own pace. Every word is clickable, so you can check meanings instantly without leaving the page. Listen to the story audio to improve your pronunciation and listening skills. After the story, you'll find lesson notes that explain key vocabulary and grammar points, making it easy to learn while you read.
This interactive story is designed for elementary-level learners (CEFR A2). If you're familiar with basic Japanese sentence structures and a few hundred words, you'll be able to follow along and enjoy this enchanting tale. Press play on the audio, click any word you don't know, and have fun learning Japanese with one of its most famous stories!
昔々、というおじいさんがいました。ある日、でを見つけました。
切ってみると、がいました。はその子を家に。
女の子はに。は彼女をと名付けました。
かぐや姫のがに広まりました。たくさんのが来ました。
しかし、は。そこで、として、を持って来るよう言いました。
たとえば、やなどです。でも、
ある日、はを見て。彼女はの者で、と言いました。
そして、が来ました。かぐや姫はにと月へ帰りました。
その後、はをで。それで、は今もと言われています。
Once upon a time, there was an old man called the Bamboo Cutter. One day, he found a shining bamboo stalk.
He cut it open and found a tiny girl inside. He brought her home.
The girl soon grew into a beautiful maiden. The old man and his wife named her Princess Kaguya.
News of Kaguya-hime's beauty spread across the country. Many suitors came to court her.
But Kaguya-hime didn't wish to marry. So she set impossible tasks, demanding rare treasures.
For instance, the Buddha's stone begging bowl or the jeweled branch from Mount Penglai. In the end, all the suitors failed.
One day, Kaguya-hime gazed at the moon and cried. She revealed she was from the Moon Capital and had to return soon.
Then, the moon envoys arrived. Leaving a letter and the elixir of life, Kaguya-hime returned to the moon.
Afterward, the old couple burned the elixir on Mount Fuji. That is why smoke still rises from the peak today.
The story is rich with words about the natural world and family roles. Let's pick out a few that appear often in traditional tales.
Pay attention to how these words combine. For example, 竹 (たけ, bamboo) + 取る (とる, to take) becomes 竹取 (たけとり, bamboo cutter), showing a common way to form job titles.
- 竹取 (たけとり) - bamboo cutter
- 翁 (おきな) - old man (respectful tale term)
- かぐや姫 (かぐやひめ) - Princess Kaguya
- 月 (つき) - moon
In the story, Kaguya-hime tells the suitors to bring treasures, but she doesn't command them directly. She uses the pattern 〜よう言う, which is like 'told them to do something'.
The basic structure is: verb (dictionary form or ない-form) + ように言う. For example, 宝物を持って来るように言いました means 'she told (them) to bring the treasure.' This is a soft but clear way to give instructions in Japanese.
- 持って来るよう言う - tell someone to bring something
- 帰るように言う - tell someone to go home
- 〜なければならない - must do (from 帰らなければならない, 'must return')
- Compare with 〜てください for direct requests.
Folk tales like Kaguya-hime are perfect for building your reading confidence in Japanese. The repeated patterns and simple story help you absorb vocabulary naturally.
Try reading other classic stories such as 桃太郎 (ももたろう, Peach Boy) or 鶴の恩返し (つるのおんがえし, The Crane's Gratitude). You'll start noticing similar words and grammar points.
たけとりものがたり comes from the Japanese / classical tale tradition and is best known as a legend/classical tale. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on 10th-century Japanese tale; public domain, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. The original audience was usually general/kids, but this version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying Japanese. Avoid Studio Ghibli-specific imagery/dialogue.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Project Gutenberg.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our Japanese section and review the Geography Vocabulary in Japanese. After that, try Essential Japanese Phrases for another useful next step.
