Abstract: Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), the first Japanese monogatari (fictional prose narrative), came into being in a transformative period in Japanese culture when the influence of Chinese Tang Dynasty was declining while the Japanese national consciousness was rising. Consequently, in terms of both theme and style, Taketori Monogatari contains many elements of traditional Chinese culture, and at the same time it also shows unique Japanese aesthetic taste and cultural features. The essay argues that studies on the tale will not only help us further understand the features of Japanese monogatari, but also the cultural transformation of Heian Period.

Key words: Taketori Monogatari, Japanese cultural transformation, narrative structure, elements of Chinese culture, elements of Japanese culture