Tale of Urashima Taro
‟Urashima Taro” is a Japanese folktale so famous that it can be said there is no one in Japan who does not know it.
‟Urashima Taro” is generally popularized in the medieval Otogi-zoshi (fairy tales), but it is also mentioned in Manyoshu (The Anthology of Myriad Leaves), Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), and Tango-no-kuni-fudoki (Tango Province’s Fudoki).
It is a fairy tale that has been handed down in Japan for quite some time.
The synopsis is as follows.
”As a reward for saving the turtle, Urashima Taro is taken into the sea and is entertained by Otohime and others at Ryugujo. When Urashima Taro returns to his hometown, he is given a ball-shaped box with a reminder that he must not open it. When he arrives home, he finds that far more years have passed than he had imagined in Ryugu, and in his disappointment, he opens the box and turns into an old crane, or an old man.”
(Source: Wikipedia, “Urashima Taro”)
The ending differs from story to story, but some say that old Urashima was so shocked that he simply disappeared. Some say that Urashima became a crane and Otohime-sama a turtle, and they were united forever.
Urashima Shrine
出典(authority)：https://photo53.com/urashimajinja.php
The story of “Urashima Taro” has spread throughout Japan and has been handed down as a legend, but it is believed to be based on a legend from the Tango Peninsula in Kyoto.
There is a shrine called “Urashima Shrine” on the Tango Peninsula, where Urashimako, the model for Urashima Taro, is enshrined as Tsutsukawa Daimyojin.
The story of “Urashima Taro” handed down at Urashima Shrine is derived from Nihonsyoki, and seems to have been handed down as a more ancient story than the stories generally prevalent throughout Japan.
It is also believed that Urashima Taro, or Urashimako, went to the land of everlasting life, not the Ryugujo, with the turtle princess he saved.
The story goes that during the approximately three years or so that he was in the land of everlasting life, about 300 years of time passed in this world.
出典(authority)：https://photo53.com/urashimajinja.php
It is a fairy tale, but a very strange one.
Image of the Ryugujo
In the Otogi-zoshi (fairy tales) from the Middle Ages onward, Urashima is said to have been taken by a turtle to the Ryugu-jo .
Ryugujo is located in the sea and is considered to be a beauty that cannot be described in pictures.
What kind of place was it?
Nochigashima, located in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, is attracting a lot of tourists for its scenery reminiscent of Ryugujo.
”Nochigashima” is believed to be the place where Urashima Taro opened the Tamatebako, and a teahouse with the motif of the Ryugujo was built on the uninhabited island.
Tea ceremonies used to be held in that teahouse.
It takes about 3 hours by car from Healing inn to Urashima Shrine using a toll road, and about 3 hours to Kinosaki Marine World where you can see Nochigashima.
You can of course also go by train, although it takes longer.
You can enjoy a variety of sightseeing activities at our hub 🎵.
Urashima Shrine: 191 Honjohama, Ine-cho, Yosagun, Kyoto 626-0403
Kinosaki Marine World: 1090 Seto, Toyooka, Hyogo 669-6192
Gogashima Island: Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture 669-6121
