Japanese Fairy Tales: Son of a Peach

M&L Episode 149: Son of a Peach

Episode Recap

In the episode, we are told two Japanese fairy tales: the tale of Momotaro, or Peach Boy, and the tale of the Ten-Inch Samurai, Issun-Boshi. These two fairy tales share a common trope, especially in Japanese folklore: the call to adventure.

The Story of Peach Boy

The episode starts with the tale of Momotaro, which translates to “Peach Boy.” Once upon a time, an elderly woman was washing her clothes in the river, and she looked up to see a giant peach floating down the river. She takes the peach home for her and her husband to eat, but as soon as they are about to cut the peach, the peach opens and a baby boy is inside. The baby boy tells the elderly couple that he was sent by the gods to be their son. Another version says the old woman gave birth after eating the peach, but either way, the elderly couple raises him and names him Momotaro, or Peach Boy. When Momotaro was a teenager, he told his parents that he felt a call to adventure and had to leave home to fight the island of demons that was terrorizing the locals. His parents were hesitant, but they gave Momotaro the ancestral sword and a sack of doji, or dumplings, and said goodbye as their son went to fulfill his destiny.

Momotaro started his way toward the sea so he could sail to Oni (demon) Island, and on his way, he encountered three animals that decided to join him on his quest: a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant. He gave each of them a dumpling and they decided to aid Momotaro on his quest, but the three animals did not like each other and continued to fight and bicker as they headed toward the sea. Finally Momotaro confronted his animal companions and told them that he would go on without them if they kept arguing. The animals became silent, and as they sailed toward Oni Island, the group started to get to know each other and became true friends. Once they landed, they prepared to attack the unexpecting demons. The pheasant flew over the gate and announced their presence, attacking the demons while Momotaro, the dog, and the monkey, sneaked in through a tunnel. Once they got past the gate, the four companions fought together and killed every demon, until they got to the leader. Momotaro decides to spare the leader demon’s life, and they release the hostages and take the vast treasure home. Momotaro returns home with the gold, and that is how the story ends.

How Momotaro Shaped Anime and Japanese Culture

While not in this episode, it turns out this story’s popularity is due to its use as WII propaganda, illustrating Japan as the hero, Momotaro, who has to fight with his allies against the dangerous island of demons and salvage the islands’ vast wealth, in other words, America. This use of Momotaro’s story is what catapulted the fairy tale into the fame and popularity it has today as a major piece of Japan’s culture. The story even is referenced in a couple Japan-made video games.

Story of the Inch-High Samurai

The second fairy tale is about Issun-Boshi, or Inch-High. Once upon a time, a woman gives birth to a baby boy the size of her thumbnail. To the couple’s surprise, the tiny baby is alive and healthy, and so they raise him and love him, despite his size. Like Momotaro, Inch-High grows up and feels the call to adventure, and tells his parents he is ready to leave home and seek out his destiny. Inch-High’s parents are very hesitant at first, since Inch-High is only an inch tall and could easily be stepped on, but they let him go, and his mother gives him a sewing needle to use as a sword. And so, Inch-High runs off on his adventure, using a bowl as a boat to head down the river. Inch-High eventually ends up at the Emperor’s palace, and asks the emperor to give him an assignment to show his skills as a samurai. The emperor decides to give Inch-High a special assignment: to stay by his daughter’s side as her “guardian.” The emperor expected the princess to play with Issun as a doll, but Issun and the princess ended up falling in love.

One day, Issun and the princess went on a walk and ran into an Oni/demon. Issun jumped to protect the princess, but the Oni picked the tiny samurai up and swallowed him whole. Just before the Oni could reach the princess to kill her, the Oni suddenly bent over in pain and fell over, dead. Issun crawls out of the Oni’s mouth, having stabbed the Oni from the inside. The Oni dropped a mallet, which was rumored to have magical powers. The princess tapped Issun with the mallet, and Issun grew to a normal size. The couple returned back to the palace and got married. The children’s version of the story tends to end here, but in another version, the now married couple is unhappy, arguing all of the time. The princess says that Issun can no longer satisfy her as he could when he was small. In a fit of anger, Issun shouts how she has no idea what it is like to be small, and Issun hits the princess with the magical mallet, causing her to shrink in front of him. The tiny princess is able to hit Issun with the mallet, causing Issun to shrink as well. The couple continues to shrink each other with the mallet until they are no bigger than a spec of dust, and they no longer can lift the mallet to unshrink themselves, leaving the couple trapped in their tiny stature.