The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013): 6 Mind-Blowing Production Secrets & Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

Isao Takahata’s The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (Official) isn’t just a stunning visual masterpiece; its real-world production was as dramatic, chaotic, and fascinating as the folklore it adapts. Released in 2013, this theatrical animation took years of turbulent planning to finally reach the screen.

Today, we are diving deep into the hidden trivia, behind-the-scenes drama, and production secrets of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. While you don’t necessarily need to know these facts to appreciate the main story, discovering the truth behind the film’s creation will undoubtedly change the way you watch it.

*This is a translated version. The original (Japanese) is available here.

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013): Uncovering the Studio Ghibli Masterpiece’s Hidden Trivia

The Scrapped Masterpieces: Why Takahata Almost Directed “The Tale of the Heike” Instead

When The Tale of The Princess Kaguya hit theaters in 2013, over 14 years had passed since director Isao Takahata’s previous film, My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). However, Takahata wasn’t just sitting idle during that decade—nor was he working on Princess Kaguya the entire time.

Right after wrapping up My Neighbors the Yamadas, the studio’s first pitch for his next project was an epic adaptation of The Tale of the Heike. But bringing this massive historical war chronicle to life in animation meant drawing countless battle scenes, complex armor, and weaponry. Finding animators skilled enough to tackle such a daunting task proved nearly impossible.

In fact, according to Ghibli Textbook 19, producer Toshio Suzuki recalled Hayao Miyazaki bluntly stating, “If anyone can draw the battle scenes of the Heike, it’s only me.”

The final nail in the coffin for the Heike project came from Osamu Tanabe, arguably the most essential staff member for Princess Kaguya. Tanabe explicitly refused to work on the film, stating he had absolutely no desire to draw violent, bloody scenes.

Osamu Tanabe is a phenomenally talented animator whose history with Studio Ghibli traces back to Grave of the Fireflies. He handled storyboards and episode direction for My Neighbors the Yamadas, and Takahata trusted him so implicitly that the director’s next project essentially hinged entirely on Tanabe’s involvement. Once Tanabe said “No,” The Tale of the Heike was officially dead in the water.

Fast forward to 2005, and a new proposal from Toshio Suzuki emerged: adapt the classic folklore, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. This was actually a concept Takahata had championed for years, insisting that someone needed to give the ancient story a proper visual adaptation.

You would think this is where the production of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya happily began, but the studio hit another wall, and the project stalled yet again.

In the aftermath of Tales from Earthsea, Ghibli briefly explored adapting Shugoro Yamamoto’s The Story of Yanagibashi, but that fell through. Takahata himself then pitched an adaptation of Norio Akasaka’s academic book, The Birth of a Lullaby, which was also promptly rejected.

Finally, in the spring of 2008, Takahata locked in Princess Kaguya. The breathtaking masterpiece we know today only exists because it survived this grueling gauntlet of scrapped concepts and creative roadblocks.

The Crumbled “Simultaneous Release” and Hayao Miyazaki’s Shocking Retirement

Because it spent so long in development hell, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya didn’t see its theatrical release until November 23, 2013. In a fascinating parallel, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises was released earlier that same year on July 20. Originally, Studio Ghibli had engineered a massive promotional strategy: a “simultaneous release” for both cinematic titans.

Production actually started on The Tale of The Princess Kaguya first. For a while, as The Wind Rises caught up, the simultaneous release seemed entirely possible. However, Takahata’s notorious perfectionism heavily delayed Princess Kaguya, forcing the studio to abandon the dual-release strategy and debut The Wind Rises solo.

The drama didn’t stop there. As The Tale of The Princess Kaguya limped toward the finish line, the exhausted production staff was hit with a bombshell. In the documentary Isao Takahata, Making ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya’, producer Yoshiaki Nishimura is seen reading Hayao Miyazaki’s official retirement statement to the Kaguya crew (a statement initially made at an exclusive Ghibli executive meeting):

“I have been doing animation for 50 years this year. Two days from the past are now one week. With the terrifying and fierce push from Sankichi (Yumiko Miyoshi, the production desk for ‘The Wind Rises’), it is finally done, but coming to this point, I am giving up on directing feature films. I am stepping down as the head of Studio Ghibli. I will continue as the owner of the museum. However, I am retiring from filmmaking. With this, I am retiring from feature films. I desperately wanted to do three short films for the museum, but the reality is I can no longer do it. My true feeling is that one week only has two days. We set up two young directors to do ‘Arrietty’ and ‘Kokuriko,’ and then ‘The Wind Rises,’ taking 5 years. In another 5 years, I will be 77. Thinking it’s better to make a clean conclusion now, I am retiring from producing feature-length animated films. I will idly continue as the chairman of the museum.”

(Original Text, in Japanese)
「今年で50年間、アニメーションをやってきたことになるが、昔の２日間が今の１週間、恐怖、猛烈なサンキチ(「風立ちぬ」の制作デスクの三吉弓子)の追い上げがあってようやくできたが、もうここに来て長編の演出を断念する。スタジオジブリの所長をやめます。美術館の館主は続ける。ただ、映画作りはリタイアします。これをもって、長編映画を引退します。美術館作品３本は是非ともと思っていましたが、現実はもうできない。１週間が２日しかないというのが実感です。若手の演出を２人たてて、『アリエッティ』と『コクリコ』、そして『風立ちぬ』とやって５年。次の5年後は77歳になる。これはもうすっきり結論を出したほうが良いのではないかと考えて、長編アニメーション映画制作からリタイアします。美術館の理事長はぐだぐだと続けていきます。」

The documentary beautifully captures director Takahata quietly watching his lifelong rival and friend’s retirement press conference on television alongside the Ghibli staff.

Whether this shocking announcement lit a final fire under the team is up for debate, but against all odds, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya finally crossed the finish line.

A Tragic Recasting: Yuji Miyake’s Secret Role as the Okina

The deeply moving voice of the Okina (the old bamboo cutter) was masterfully performed by legendary actor Takeo Chii. Tragically, Chii passed away in 2012 while the film was still heavily in production. Although he had completed the vast majority of his voice recording sessions—and the primary voice you hear in the film is indeed his—the studio still needed crucial additional dialogue recorded.

To honor Chii’s performance and finish the film, actor Yuji Miyake stepped in to seamlessly record the missing lines. While it’s tough to pinpoint every single scene Miyake covered, the documentary Isao Takahata, Making ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya’ shows Miyake passionately recording the desperate shout: “Where have you gone~, He~y!” It’s a subtle but beautiful tribute to a late great actor.

The Catchphrase Controversy: The “Crime and Punishment” Suzuki Forced Upon Takahata

If you remember the marketing for The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, you undoubtedly remember its haunting catchphrase: “The crime and punishment the princess committed.” It’s an incredibly striking piece of copy that pulled audiences right into the theaters.

What the public didn’t know, however, was that a fierce dispute was raging behind closed doors between producer Toshio Suzuki and director Isao Takahata over this exact phrase.

Suzuki engineered the “Crime and Punishment” angle because it was briefly mentioned in Takahata’s original project proposal and referenced in the original ancient folklore. But when Suzuki proudly presented the tagline to the director, Takahata’s reaction was freezing cold.

Takahata reportedly shot back, “It is true that I originally thought that way. But I dropped that theme.“

Despite the director’s blatant disapproval, Suzuki aggressively pushed the catchy tagline through. As production dragged on, Takahata constantly complained that the marketing was “causing a great deal of trouble.” Knowing that the audience’s psychology would be deeply influenced by the posters, Takahata felt forced to add specific lines to the script just to make the movie align with Suzuki’s rogue catchphrase.

While Takahata never explicitly pointed out which lines were added, fans heavily speculate that this crucial monologue near the end of the film was the forced addition:

“A long time ago, I heard someone who returned from this land humming this song in the Capital of the Moon.” “When you wear the Moon’s robe of feathers, you lose all memories of this land. There is no sadness, no worry. And yet, every time they sang it, a single tear would fall from their eyes. Its mystery somehow squeezed my heart too… Ah, I understand now, that person’s feelings! And why I yearned for this land, and perhaps why, as punishment for that, I was brought down to none other than this land…”

(Original Text, in Japanese)
「遠い昔、この地から帰ってきた人がこの歌を口ずさむのを、月の都で聞いたのです。」「月の羽衣をまとうと、この地の記憶はすべて失ってしまいます。悲しみも、悩みもありません。なのに、歌う度に、涙がひとすじ、その人の目からこぼれるのです。その不思議さに、なぜかわたしの心も締め付けられて・・・ああ、今なら判ります、あの人の気持ちが！そしてなぜ 私が この地に憧れ、その罰として、他ならぬこの地に降ろされたのかも・・・・」

Even though Takahata claimed he had abandoned the theme, a fragment of the “crime and punishment” concept still bleeds into the final cut. If you want to dive deeper into what Kaguya’s true “sin” really was, check out our comprehensive analysis articles below:

https://en.sifrinsight.com/the-sin-of-princess-kaguya/

https://en.sifrinsight.com/the-fake-in-princess-kaguya/

Ultimately, the story plays out much more naturally as a modern human drama projected onto the ancient stage of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. If viewers walk into the theater obsessed with finding a literal “Crime and Punishment,” it’s easy to see why Takahata found the marketing so deeply problematic.

The Heavenly Music: Joe Hisaishi Was Told to Write a “Stupid Song” Like an Indian Musical

In the breathtaking climax of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, when the ethereal beings from the Moon descend to reclaim Kaguya, a wildly bizarre and mysterious piece of music plays. Titled “The Music of the Heavenly Beings,” the track triggers an overwhelming wave of inexplicable sadness, leaving viewers in tears without fully understanding why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlV77t354t8, in Japanese

So, how did legendary composer Joe Hisaishi craft such a profound masterpiece? In the documentary Isao Takahata, Making ‘The Tale of The Princess Kaguya’, director Takahata is filmed giving Hisaishi one of the most baffling artistic directions in cinema history:

“As for the music, what I definitely want you to keep in the corner of your mind is… [omitted: a mention of director Kon Ichikawa’s ‘Princess from the Moon’]… In contrast to that, for us, when doing this, I thought, in the ‘Amida Raigo Zu’ (Descent of Amida Buddha), Amida is in the middle riding on a cloud, leading a whole band. (When Joe Hisaishi asks, “Is it heavenly music?”), It’s not heavenly music. Should I just say it? I’ll say it. It’s a band. Extremely carefree, with a rhythm, swaying their bodies ‘chaka-chaka’ as they come down. Pure music, you know, how should I put it, having no worries and being pure is kind of weird, isn’t it? I think the word ‘carefree’ fits perfectly, but speaking in a musical image, it’s like a failed Indian musical. It’s like some kind of stupid music. (Joe Hisaishi replies, “Ah, yes, what was that movie again?”), ‘Muthu (The Dancing Maharaja).’ Something like that, or, um, samba, you know, from Brazil, that kind of thing has that sort of element too, doesn’t it? Your head completely blanks out, and it’s playing ‘chaka-chaka,’ but you can bring out pathos (sorrow) sometimes if you want to. That kind of… yeah, that kind of ‘chaka-chaka’ fading in while riding on a cloud. Nobody is expecting it, after all.”

(Original Text, in Japanese)
「音楽も　頭の隅にぜひ置いて頂きたいのは　・・・中略（市川崑監督の「竹取物語」についての言及）・・・　それに対してこっちは　これをやる場合　思ったんだけど　「阿弥陀来迎図」って　雲に乗って阿弥陀さんが真ん中にいて　みんな楽隊を引き連れているんですよ　（これに対して久石譲さんが「天の音楽ですか」と聞くと）　天の音楽じゃないです　言っちゃおうかな　言います　楽隊なんです　極めて能天気で　リズムがある　チャカチャカ体を揺すって　降りてくる感じで　清浄な音楽ってね　なんていうかな　悩みがなくて清らかで　なんか変じゃないですか　能天気っていう言葉がぴったりだと思うけど　音楽的なイメージで言うと　インドのミュージカルの出来損ないみたいな　なんかアホみたいな音楽ですね　(久石譲が「ありますね　何だっけあの映画」と返して)　「踊るマハラジャ」　ああいうやつとか　それからあの　えっとサンバですね　ブラジルの　ああいうのも　そういう所あるんじゃないですか　頭がパーッとすっ飛んじゃってね　チャカチャカなってるんだけど　時々ペーソス（哀愁）を出そうと思えば出せる　そういう　ああいう　チャカチャカ雲に乗ってね　フェードインしてくる　誰も期待してないですから　」

While there were surely countless revisions before “The Music of the Heavenly Beings” reached its final form, it is absolutely mind-blowing that such an emotionally devastating track was born from a request for a “stupid,” “carefree” song inspired by Muthu and Brazilian samba.

Hisaishi managed to take Takahata’s chaotic vision and mold it into an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece.

The Infamous Mikado: Why the “Most Beautiful Man” Got a Ridiculous Chin

Of all the breathtaking character designs in The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, the one that burned itself into the collective memory of the audience is undeniably the Mikado (the Emperor)—and specifically, his incredibly exaggerated chin.

In The Art of The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, Osamu Tanabe, the lead character designer, confessed the hilarious truth behind this polarizing artistic choice:

I wanted to give him the most beautiful face, and at one point I even thought about using the character I drew as Prince Ishitsukuri for the Mikado. But while I was agonizing over it, Mr. Takahata said, “He’s handsome, but how about breaking the balance in one place, for example, the chin,” and so it was decided like this.

(Original Text, in Japanese)
最もきれいな顔にしたくて、一時は石作皇子として描いたキャラを御門にしようかとも考えたのですが、悩んでいたところ、高畑さんが「美男だけど一ヶ所バランスを崩してみたらどうか、たとえばアゴとか」と言われ、このように決まりました。

If it weren’t for Takahata’s single passing suggestion, the Mikado would have been a flawlessly handsome prince. Instead, the director threw in a dash of pure artistic “malice” to purposefully ruin the character’s perfection. If you’re as obsessed with this design choice as we are, check out our dedicated deep dive into the psychology of the Mikado’s chin below!

The images used in this article are from Studio Ghibli Works Stills, in Japanese.

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