The Legend of Urashima Taro

A National Legend in Our Little Town

Perhaps one of the most famous Japanese folktales is the Legend of Urashima Taro. While there are many versions of this story, here is one from the Mitoyo Legend of Urashima Taro Guidebook:

Once upon a time, in a small village (1) there lived a kind young boy named Urashima Taro. He lived together with his mother and every day he would sell the fish that he caught from the nearby ocean (2).
One day, while walking along the shore (3), he spotted a turtle that was being tormented by a group of children.
"The poor thing," he thought. He convinced the children to hand the turtle over to him and let it go back into the sea with a "be more careful next time!"

Some time later, he went to his usual spot and sat on a rock (4), letting his fishing line dangled into the sea as always. Just as he settled in, a huge turtle poked its head out of the water and spoke to him,
"I am so grateful for your help the other day. In thanks, allow me to take you to the Dragon Palace. Please get on my back"
Without truly understanding what was happening, Urashima Taro climbed onto the turtle's back. It immediately dove under the surface and swiftly carried him through the water. Eventually, a palace came into view. "We've arrived. That is the Dragon Palace."

The palace gate opened and a beautiful princess emerged.
"Welcome to the Dragon Palace. I am Princess Oto-hime. You are a kind spirit to have saved this turtle. It would be my pleasure to host you here ."She reached out and took Urashima Taro's hand, leading him into the palace.
In the banquet hall, they were served delicious dishes made from fish of all colors while beautiful women danced for their entertainment.
"This is amazing!" Urashima Taro completely forgot about his former life, relaxing into a dreamlike existence with Princess Oto-Hime.

After several months, he suddenly recalled his mother.
I'll have to go home soon; I'm worried about my mother." But as he said this, Oto-Hime replied,
"Why don't we just continue to live as we have been."
However, Urashima Taro wouldn't be dissuaded.
"I have to do what I have to do."

Oto-Hime presented Urashima Taro with a parting gift, saying,
"This is a Treasure Box. Please think of me when you look at it. However, you must never open the lid."
He climbed once more onto the turtle's back and left the Dragon Palace behind.

When he arrived on shore (5), he ran back to his house. But although the area was just as he remembered, something about it was very different. His home and the houses that had been around it were no longer there.
"Excuse me, do you know where Urashima Taro's house is? I'm sure it was around here," he asked an elderly person who was walking down the street.

"Ah, a long time ago a boy with that name went fishing and disappeared. His mother fell to despair and passed away shortly afterward."
Urashima Taro began to sob. A day at the Dragon Palace was a year in our world. While he was enjoying life under the sea, years and years had been passing on the surface.

"No one I knew is left..."
Urashima Taro, still young (6), lived in a daze for a while, until he suddenly remembered the Treasure Box. "That's right," he thought, "if I open that, there's a chance that everything will go back to the way it was before." Forgetting his promise to Oto-Hime, he opened the box (4). At that moment, great puffs of white smoke (7) began to stream out. When it cleared, a feeble, ancient man sat in his place (8).


Mitoyo is one of dozens of places in Japan that claims to be the place where this tale took place, and there are quite a few areas within Takuma specifically that are named for the story:
1) Namari (生里)- the location of Urashima Taro's birth
2) Itonokoshi (糸の越)- a place Urashima Taro passed through each day to go fishing
3) Kamonokoshi (鴨の越)- the beach where Urashima Taro rescued the turtle
4) Hako (箱)- where the treasure box was opened and where he and his parent(s) are buried
5) Tsumju (積)- where Urashima Taro returned to dry land
6) Murohama (室浜)- where Urashima Taro lived for 2 or 3 years before opening the treasure box. As he didn't age during this time, it's also sometimes called Furoma (不老浜), or Un-Aging Beach
7) Mt. Shiude (紫雲出山)- the smoke from the treasure box later transformed into a cloud and hung over this mountain
8) Nirohama (仁老浜)- where the elderly Urashima Taro spent the rest of this life

Urashima (浦島) is also used as the collective name for the Shonai Peninsula, Awashima Island, and Shishijima Island.
(Translator's note: Taro is essentially the Japanese version of "John" (as in John Doe), and the name of the protagonist in this story can be understood to basically mean "Guy from Urashima" moreso than an actual individual's name.)

There are many statues and images of Urashima Taro around Takuma. Keep an eye out for manhole covers, statues, and more. Even the street lamps are designed in the shape of the Dragon Palace!

• Tsumu, where Urashima Taro returned to shore carrying the treasure box.
• Kamonokoshi, the site where Urashima Taro rescued the turtle. Cross the sandbar at low tide to see a statue of them together.

Address

Takuma-cho, Mitoyo, Kagawa (香川県三豊市詫間町)

Phone

0875‐56‐5880 (Mitoyo Tourism and Exchange Authority, Jpn or English)