Japan has a long held tradition of folk stories, some of which have a literary tradition, and others that have been orally passed down for centuries. This week, our collection was explored and we introduced two very popular tales.
The Quarrel of Monkey and Crab
The story of Monkey and Crab (Jp.”Saru Kani Gassen”) follows the story of a mother crab who finds a rice ball (onigiri) and is persuaded by a monkey to trade it for a persimmon seed. After an act of betrayal by the monkey, the crab’s friends; which are often introduced as a chestnut, a mortar, a bee, and a cow pie; come to exact revenge.
Appropriate for a folktale, the story has many variations throughout Japan, such as crab dying or simply being harmed, or the list of friends that come to her aid.
Urashima TarÅ
The story of Urashima TarŠis an extraordinarily old legend of a fisherman with the same name. In most versions of the story, TarŠsaves a sea turtle from being tortured by a group of children. To express his gratitude, the turtle takes him to an undersea palace, which is home to the Dragon god, Ryūjin, and Otohime, a goddess who is said to be an ancestor of the first Japanese emperor. After expressing desire to see his old home again, TarŠis given a box which he is warned never to open. Upon returning to the land, he eventually discovers that 300 years had passed since his departure. Absentmindedly, he opens the box, releasing his essence and causing him to rapidly age 300 years.
The legend is mentioned as early as the Nara period (8th century CE) and is even referenced in some of the oldest accounts of Japanese mythological history such as the Nihon Shoki. It also bears striking similarity to the Celtic legend of OisÃn.
English translations of these stories may be read below.