Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

Sent to the seaside to stay with relatives for the summer, Anna strikes up a friendship with Marnie, who lives there in an old mansion surrounded by marshes. As their friendship grows, so does Anna's curiosity about the truth surrounding her new friend.