Taro Urashima

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University of the Philippines Baguio

English 1 Readings

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Taro Urashima, the Young Fisherman

(retold by Donna Rosenberg)*

Taro Urashima was a strong, handsome youth who lived in a small

fishing village called Midzunoye, in the province of Tango, in Japan.

Taro was a fisherman, and the son of a fisherman. Every day, he would

row himself out to sea in order to catch fish. Some days, he returnedwith bream, bonito, or brass. Other days, he returned with carp, trout,

or abalone. Other days, he returned with no fish at all.

One day, in the autumn of the year 477, during the reign of Emperor

Yuriaku, Taro Urashima chose to row beyond the traditional fishing

limits. He had been out for three days and four nights without catchinga fish, and he decided that he might fare better if he rowed beyond the

slope of the sea. His luck turned, and he caught a beautiful tortoise.

I have seen a tortoise like this one once before, Taro said to himself.

I remember when a storm washed one ashore upon the beach, whereit landed on its back. The village children had discovered it there

before I did. And, by the time I came along, they were amusing

themselves by prodding its tender belly with their sticks. But I soon

put a stop to their game!

I chased them away, saying, Shame on all of you! A tortoise can live

for ten thousand years, and it is sacred to the Dragon-King of the Sea!

Surely, it deserves your respect!

Then I turned the tortoise right-side up. With a prayer to the gods, Isent it off toward the water. And the last I saw of it, the tortoise was

swimming safely out to sea, mused Taro.

This tortoise is as beautiful as that one was! he then exclaimed tohimself. Its wet back reflects the colors of the rainbow as it shines in

the sun! I do not have the heart to take the life of one that has lived forso many years. I will release it so that it can live to the natural end of itsdays. I still have fresh bait for my hook. And surely I will get another

bite before I must return home.

So it came to pass that Taro Urashima again with a prayer to the gods

set the tortoise free and then settled back in his little boat to wait for

another bite. However, the warmth of the sun and the gentle rockingmotion of the waves put him to sleep.

It was then that Taro heard someone calling his name. Taro Urashima!

Taro Urashima! the voice called sweetly.

Taro could not resist the appealing sound of that voice. He stood up inhis boat and, to his surprise, he saw the tortoise whose life he had just

saved.

Speaking Taros language, the tortoise announced, Taro Urashima,because of the kindness and respect that you have shown to me on two

occasions, the Dragon-King of the Sea invites you to accompany me to

his palace in the Land Where Time Stands Still.


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Upon hearing the tortoises words, the young fisherman thoug ht to

himself, Who would believe that a tortoise has invited me to visit theplace of the great Dragon-King of the Sea! What a special opportunity!

What a great honor! I cannot imagine that I have anything to lose by

accepting it.

And so it came to pass that Taro Urashima climbed upon the tortoises

back and set forth on this journey. Although the tortoise quickly

descended into the depths of the sea, Taro found that he could breathenaturally and that his clothing remained completely dry.

Before he had time to reflect upon this miracle, Taro found himselffacing the beautiful palace of the Dragon-King of the Sea. Fashioned of

coral and decorated with abalone shell and pearls, it was truly an

awesome sight to behold. Moreover, it became clear that he was an

expected and welcome guest. As soon as he arrived, flounder, carp, and

sole, wearing royal robes, came out to welcome him. Meanwhile, the

tortoise disappeared.

The fish took Taro Urashima inside the palace and into a great hall.

There swordfish, sea horses, and dolphins proceeded to escort him into

an even greater room that was located deeper within the palace. Therethe Dragon-Kings daughter, Princess Otohime, was seated with herattendants, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the young fisherman who

was as handsome as he was kind.

Princess Otohime was the most beautiful woman that Taro Urashima

had ever seen. Her long black hair flowed down her back to her feet.

Her robes were as brilliant as the sun, shimmering with the reds and

golds that waves reflect when the sun shines upon them.

And it came to pass that Princess Otohime greeted Taro warmly, saying,

Welcome, kind-hearted young fisherman! I had heard tales of your

great heart, and twice I changed myself into the form of a tortoise in

order to see for myself whether what I heard about you was true. Sinceit is true, I hereby promise to love you until the sun and moon no longer

ride across the heavens to mark the passing of day, night, and the

seasons.

If you will accept my love, Taro Urashima, and if you love me in return,

Princess Otohime promised, you will become my husband. And we willlive together here in my fathers kingdom, a land where the seasons

always smile in natural harmony. Here, day after day, the golden sun

shines upon the golden hills, while night after night, the silver moon

shines upon the silver hills. Here, flowers never fade and never die.

Like these flowers, you will find that you will never age and that you

will never die. You will find that your heart will be forever happy, forsorrow never enters this land. And you will find that my love for you

will remain as strong as the rocks that form the mountains, and that it

will always be as pure as spun gold, Princess Otohime declared.

Upon hearing Otohimes words, the young fisherman thought to himself,

Who would believe that the Princess of the Sea, daughter of the greatDragon-King, has asked to marry me! What a special opportunity!

What a great honor! She is so beautiful that I cannot resist her love.

And I cannot help but love her in return. I cannot imagine that I haveanything to lose by accepting her offer.

And so it came to pass that Taro Urashima replied, Oh, most beautiful

princess, of course I will accept your love and will love you in return! Iam honored to become your husband and to remain here with you in

your fathers kingdom! And you will find that my love for you willremain as strong as the rocks that form the mountains, and that it will

always be as pure as spun gold.

Once again, swordfish, sea horses, and dolphins appeared before Taro.

This time they were wearing long ceremonial robes in honor of the

royal wedding and they were carrying great coral trays that were piledhigh with the great edible delicacies of the sea. Taro Urashima andPrincess Otohime pledged to love one another to the end of time and

shared the sacred drink that is part of the traditional marriage

ceremony. Meanwhile, the fish of the sea danced on the white sand and

sang to the strains of soft music, their silver scales and golden tailsreflecting the golden sand and the silvery white pebbles that were

strewn upon it.


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In time, Princess Otohime showed her husband the wonders of her

fathers kingdom. And, truly, the land was just as remarkable as shehad told him it was! Here, spring reigned eternally in the East.

Warblers and nightingales sang lovely songs. Cherry trees and plum

trees remained in full bloom, their pink and white blossoms providing

nourishment to myriads of bright-winged butterflies that drank theirnectar.

Here, summer reigned eternally in the South. The cuckoo sang its songfor the blooming iris. Frogs croaked in ponds adorned with floating

lilies, and trees remained clothed with leaves that shimmered like

emeralds in the light breeze.

Here, autumn reigned eternally in the West. Maple trees remained fully

clothed in their leaves of fiery red, and chrysanthemums bloomed

continuously in the colors of the setting sun. The stag roamed through

the woodlands, and the cries of wild geese filled the air.

And here, winter reigned eternally in the North. Ice-covered pondsreflected the blue-tinted light of the pale sun, while wild ducks took

refuge among the reeds. Winter trees gleamed silvery-white with snow,

with their berries shining ruby-red and crackling in the frosty breeze.

The wonders of the Land Where Time Stands Still might have been

enough for Taro Urashima. However, he found that his marriage wasjust as remarkable as Princess Otohime had told him that it would be!

Happiness always flooded his heart, for sorrow never entered that land.

His wifes love for him remained as strong as the rocks that form themountains. And, indeed, it was as pure as spun gold.

However, it came to pass that in the Land Where Time Stands Still, timenevertheless passed quickly. Taros heart sensed that three days hadpassed as if they were but three days in his life. And as happy as he was

in his new life, Taro began to think more and more about his parents.

He remembered how he had left them suddenly and unexpectedly,

without support and without even a loving farewell. Taros love for thecouple who had reared him now fought in his heart with his love for his

wife. And his eyes would fill with tears whenever he gazed at the

woman he loved.

One day, when Taro could stand the pain no longer, he said to Otohime,

Dear one! As much as love for you floods my heart, I long to see my

parents and take my loving farewell of them. Because of how I left

them, sorrow must rule their hearts and their lives. So I ask you to let

me leave you for just a day. I give you my word that I will return to youtomorrow. And then I will love you alone to the end of time with a

love that, like yours, will remain as strong as the rocks that form the

mountains and as pure as spun gold.

To these words, Otohime tearfully replied, Your desire floods my heartwith fear, Taro! I dread your departure, for my heart senses that I willnever see you again! So I plead with you, dearest husband, stay with me

but one day longer. And then I will send you back to your home!

But Taro Urashima would not agree. Dear one! The duty that I owemy parents is forged of unbreakable metal! he declared. Just as I

spared your life when you appeared to me in the form of a tortoise, so Imust respect the life of my parents and leave you for a day in order tolook after them.

I am not breaking the promise that I made to you when we became

husband and wife, Taro explained. I give you my word that I willreturn to you tomorrow. And then I will love you alone to the end of

time with a love that, your yours, will remain as strong as the ricks

that form the mountains and as pure as spun gold.

To these words, Otohime tearfully replied, Taro, dearest husband, ifnothing that I can say or do will dissuade you, then I will return you to

your own land. But take this parting gift in memory of our love, andlisten well to my parting words.

I want you to have this beautiful little black-lacquered box as a

keepsake, declared Otohime. However, once you return home, if you

still remember me and if you still love me, no matter how much youmay wish to do so, you must not untie these red silk tasseled cords and

you must not open the box! Instead, if you wish to return to me, just

hold the box in your hands and grip it with all your might.


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I must warn you, Taro: If you forget my words, or if you disobey mycommand, something terrible will happen! And you will never be able

to return to my fathers kingdom or see me again! So remember, Taro!

Never untie these silk cords. And never open this beautiful box! she

concluded.

To these words, Taro Urashima replied, Lovely Otohime, put your

worries to rest. I promise that I will treasure your gift! And I will

remember your warning. I will never open the box. In fact, I will never

even loosen its silken cords!

So it came to pass that, after a loving farewell, the tortoise reappearedand quickly carried Taro Urashima back to his own country. Of course,

his journey through the sea left him as dry as it had originally.

Taros heart flooded with joy as the tortoise entered the familiar bayand left him on its beach. His eyes flooded with you at the sight of his

homeland. He quickly went forth to greet his parents. He smiled to seethe familiar hills, with the mountains a soft blue in the distance beyondthem. He laughed to see the familiar stream that meandered through

his village.

However, as he walked along, Taros smile froze on his face, and hislaughter stuck in his throat. He expected to find the old road. However,

he found that he was walking on a new road where the old road hadbeen. He expected to find his old village. However, he found a larger,

bustling town where his old village had been.

Taro Urashima passed many townsfolk. However, he could not

discover one familiar face. And the townspeople, in turn, regarded Taroas a stranger.

Taro Urashima looked for his home. However, he found a large new

house where his cottage had been. Nevertheless, he approached this

house and knocked on the door.

When a strange woman answered, Taro asked her, Madam, would youplease show me the way to the house of the young fisherman Taro

Urashima and his parents? Your house is not their house. But they

should be living where your house now stands.

To these words, the woman replied, Young man, I have never heard of

a young fisherman called Taro Urashima, or his family. My own family

has lived in this house since the time of my great-grandfather! You willhave to ask someone else about those people. I wish you good luck in

your search!

So it came to pass that Taro Urashima continued on his way through

the town. He searched every face to see if it was the face of one of his

parents or, at least, the face of a friend or an acquaintance. However,he saw only strange faces where familiar faces had been.

And as Taro walked and walked, he became more and more anxious

with each step. Now he stopped each person he met and asked. Wouldyou please show me the way to the house of the young fisherman Taro

Urashima and his parents?

However, these townspeople simply shook their heads form side to side

and continued on their way.

Finally, Taro came upon a very old man, who was slowly hobbling down

the road. He was a great-great-grandfather and surely the town elder.

Therefore, Taro greeted him and asked, Most Respected Grandfather,would you please show me the way to the house of the young fisherman

Taro Urashima and his parents.

To these words, the town elder replied, Young man, who are you? And

where are you from that you ask me such a foolish question? Surelyyou know that it is now the year 825. The boy you mentioned, TaroUrashima and, of course, his family as well have been dead for well

over three hundred years! Therefore, it is foolish to ask where their

house is.

However, if you wish to see their last home, go the old village burial

ground, he advised Taro. It is just outside the town, near whatremains of the old Shinto temple. No one goes there anymore, so the

old gravestones are covered with moss and hard to read. Nevertheless,


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if you look closely, you will find what remains of Taro Urashima and his

family.

Villagers still talked about them when I was a child, the town elder

added. They said that the young Urashima used to row out to sea in

order to fish. One day, he was seen heading beyond the traditionalfishing limits toward treacherous waters, where he drowned! His

parents died of grief soon thereafter.

And with these final words, the old man continued on his way, shaking

his head from side to side in wonder as he slowly hobbled down the

road.

Taro Urashima stared after the old man in silence. The town elderswords brought to his ears the same message that the sights of the town

had brought to his eyes. More than a hundred years in this land had

passed as only one year in the sea kingdom of the Dragon-King!

Everything in his world as he had known it and every person heremembered was long gone!

Taro Urashima easily found the old graveyard because that, at least,

was just where it had been. And searching the gravestones for thenames of his parents gave Taro the only sense of home that was left for

him. For here, at last, in the graveyard, he found the village that he had

left behind! Here, at last, he found the names of all the familiar facesthat he had hoped to see upon his return. Finally, here at last, he found

his parents. And, buried next to them, he found his own grave. Taro

Urashima was alive among the dead, and dead among the living!

Taro then left the graveyard. He turned his back on the town andreturned to the sea. Overcome with shock and horror, he ran along theshore, ranting and raving in his sorrow. He waved his arms, stamped

his feet, and rolled upon the ground. However, he could not capture

Time and bring back the past.

Finally, Taro Urashima lay still upon the sand, his eyes red with

weeping and his heart worn thin with despair. The gentle lapping of

the waves upon the shore brought the memory of beautiful Otohime

and the sea kingdom of the Dragon-King into his mind.

Suddenly, the waves became louder. Taros ears fastened onto theirsound. Did he hear, Taro Urashima! Taro Urashima!? Was Otohime

once again calling to him in her sweet voice?

Taro rose to his feet and scanned the waves. However, he could not seethe tortoise whose life he had saved. And so it came to pass that Taro

Urashima remembered his wifes parting gift. He reached into his

pocket and withdrew the beautiful black-lacquered box that hisbeloved had tied with red tasseled cords of silk. He stared at it

thoughtfully.

Then Taro Urashima broke the promise that he had made to Otohime.

Slowly he untied the cords that sealed the box, and he began to remove

the lid. As if it were longing to escape, a cold vapor instantly rushed out

of the box. It flew up to Taros face, where it stopped for a moment.And then it floated out to sea on the wings of the wind as it if were a

small white summer cloud. Except for that vapor, the box was empty.

As Taro Urashima watched the cloud of vapor leave him, it seemed to

him that it took the shape of his beloved wife. He reached out to the

departing cloud and called, Otohime! Oh, Otohime! Please come back!

I am so sorry that I broke my promise to you!

Taro strained to see when and where the small white cloud hadvanished. However, as he searched the horizon, suddenly he began to

shiver and shake uncontrollably from head to toe. And suddenly his

eyes became too dim to see the cloud.

Taro instinctively stepped toward the waves, as if to follow the cloud toits home in the sea. However, suddenly his body cried out in agonizingprotest and refused to obey his wishes. Suddenly his back was no

longer able to support him. Instead, it forced him to bend forward until

he found that he was staring down at his own feet and the sandy shore

on which they rested.

And it came to pass that, as Taro Urashima looked down at his feet,

snow-white hair and a long, snowy-white beard blew across his face on

the wings of the wind. And he knew that they belonged to him.


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With growing amazement, Taro noticed that his arms had shriveled to

mere bones, with only a waxlike, wrinkled covering of skin to protect

them. He saw that his legs were now withered and wobbly from the

weight of his body. And then, suddenly, they gave way beneath him.

Taro Urashima opened his mouth to cry out, and his teeth dropped

upon the sand like seashells. His heart became too weak to beat in

anger or in protest. Finally, even the process of beating became toodifficult, and his heart, too collapsed.

The next morning, children found Taro Urashimas body where it hadcrumpled upon the sand. They had never seen anything like it. And so

they ran to tell their parents about the fearsome sight. Even the old

ones of the town were awestruck by the sight of such an ancient being.

The corpse that lay upon the beach was far older than the towns great-

great-grandfather. Its face was shriveled like a dried peach; its hair was

whiter than snow; and its limbs were as crooked as the branches of agnarled tree.

Only the town elder, that great-great-grandfather, thought that he could

explain the sight. As he looked at the ancient, withered figure, whosecrooked fingers still gripped the top of a beautiful black-lacquered box,

he remembered the young stranger and his questions. And then he put

the pieces of the puzzling tale into their proper places.

This is the story that the town elder told to the people of Midzunoye, in

the year 825. And this is the story that, through generations of

storytellers, I have now passed down to you.

* Donna Rosenberg, Folklore, Myths, and Legends: A WorldPerspective (Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group, 1997), 421-

431.

Taro Urashima

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