Urashima Taro

Urashima Tarō (浦島太郎) 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.

Related Topics:
Japan - Fairy tale - Fisherman - Turtle - Ryūgū-jō

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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. 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 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.

Related Topics:
Story - Oceania - Origin

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The story influenced a number of works of fiction and movies. Among them are Urusei Yatsura and Love Hina. It is retold in and used as the basis for the short story Another Story by Ursula K. Le Guin (published in her story collection A Fisherman of the Inland Sea, named for the character of this story).

Related Topics:
Urusei Yatsura - Love Hina - Another Story - Ursula K. Le Guin - A Fisherman of the Inland Sea

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Similar stories also exist in Europe, being about a monk who goes to sleep one afternoon and wakes up several centuries later, then dies of old age when he realizes it.

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