Urashima Taro
Urashima Taro is a Japanese fairy tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle
and is rewarded with a visit to the Ryūgū-jō, the Dragon Palace.
Urashima Taro was fishing one day when he sees a turtle in distress. Urashima
saves the turtle, in gratitude the turtle takes Urashima to the Dragon Palace.
He spends many days in happiness at this underwater kingdom, however soon
becomes homesick and asks to be allowed home. The queen of the palace allows him
to go home and gives him as a gift a jewel encrusted box with explicit
instructions never to open it. Upon arriving home Urashima discovers that over
300 years have passed in the real world and no one can remember him or any of
his contemporaries. Wallowing in self-induced depression, he heads to the beach
and remembers the box he was given. He opens it and a white cloud is released
and he suddenly ages and dies - the box having contained his true age. Variants
of this story have developed throughout Oceania and the actual origin is
unknown.
Influences
The story influenced a number of works of fiction and movies. Among them are
Urusei Yatsura, Love Hina, Yu Yu Hakusho, Doraemon, Cowboy Bebop and RahXephon.
It is retold in and used as the basis for the short story "Another Story" by
Ursula K. Le Guin, which was published in her story collection A Fisherman of
the Inland Sea, named for the character of this story.
Similar stories also exist in Europe, the most famous being the conclusion of
the Irish legend cycle of the Fianna, in which the bard Oisín is taken to Tír na
nÓg. The Voyage of Bran is also similar to this story.
A Japanese sci-fi author, Aritsune Toyoda, explained the story of Urashima by
the Twin paradox derived from Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.
Some have seen this story as an early reference to the Devil's Sea, an area
allegedly similar to the Bermuda Triangle.
Other appearance
In the video game Onimusha the story of Urashima is explained that the
underwater kingdom was a Oni research center and the reason he finds that 300
years have passed is because the Oni sent him 300 years into the future so that
he wouldn't reveal the location of the research center.
In the video game Ōkami, Urashima appears in the North Ryoshima Coast and aids
the player in reaching the Dragon Palace.
Momotaro Kintaro Issun Boshi Tamamo no Mae Shita kiri Suzume Kiyohime
Bancho Sarayashiki Yotsuya Kaidan Kachi kachi Yama Hanasaka Jiisan Kamishibai
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