Urashima Tarō

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Part of the series on Japanese Mythology

Divinities Kami & Megami, Seven Lucky Gods List of divinities in Japanese mythology
Legendary Creatures & Spirits Dragons, Obake, Yōkai, Yūrei List of legendary creatures in Japanese mythology
Legendary Figures Abe no Seimei, Hidari Jingoro, Kintaro, Kuzunoha, Momotaro, Nezumi Kozo, Tamamo-no-Mae, Tomoe Gozen, Urashima Tarō
Mythical & Sacred Locations Horai, Mt. Hiei, Mt. Fuji, Rashōmon, Ryugu-jo, Suzakumon, Takamagahara, Yomi
Sacred Objects Amenonuhoko, Kusanagi, Tonbogiri Three Sacred Treasures
Writings Konjaju Monogatari, Kwaidan, Otogizoshi, Yotsuya Kaidan
Shinto & Buddhism Bon Festival, Tanabata
Folklorists Glen Grant, Lafcadio Hearn, Shigeru Mizuki

Urashima Tarō (浦島太郎, Urashima Tarō^?) 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.

1 Story
2 Influences
3 Other appearance
4 Notes and references
5 See also
6 External link

[edit] Story

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.

[edit] Influences

The story influenced a number of works of fiction and movies. Among them are Urusei Yatsura, Love Hina, Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop^{[citation needed]} and RahXephon^[1]. 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 relativity.

Some have seen this story as an early reference to the Devil's Sea, an area allegedly similar to the Bermuda Triangle.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Notes and references

^ Izubuchi, Yutaka (scenario) and Kiryu, Yukari (screenplay) RahXephon TV series episode 3

[edit] See also

Tamatebako, an origami cube that causes the ageing of Urashima in some versions of the story.
Pandora's box, a magic box which spread disaster when open in Greek mythology.
King in the mountain, several legends of people hidden away of time.
Rip van Winkle
The Picture of Dorian Gray