Kaguya Hime Costumes

Here are some different costume designs for the Kaguya Hime character I created as an illustration for a children's book for a graphic project - original here [link] .

1) Take (bamboo) Kimono. As Kaguya Hime was found in a bamboo stem and is often refered to as the Bamboo Princess, a kimono and obi with a vague bamboo design seems appropriate.

2) Sakura (cherry blossom) Kimono. In Japan, cherry blossoms are associated with youth, beauty, femininity and fleeting life - all appropriate to Kaguya Hime. As it is a very feminine design, I thought this design would be most appropriate for romantic seens in the story.

3) Chou-Chou (butterfly) Kimono. There are many points in the story where Kaguya Hime is sad. This outfit, with its blue coloration and lack of hair ornamentation, would be most appropriate for these sombre moments.

4) Tsuki to Hoshi (Moon and Star) Kimono. At the end of the story, Kaguya Hime reveals that she is in fact a princess from the Moon, and her family from the Moon descend to earth to take her back. This gold kimono, with colourful moons and stars, express Kaguya Hime's nobility, the nature of her realm, and the dramatic way in which she is taken home.