The Story of Urashima Taro

Once upon a time, there was a young charming fisherman named Urashima Taro in Japan. He and his mother used to live in a small village near the seashore. Despite their poverty, Urashima was very kind and honest. Everyone in the village used to adore him for his gentle nature and good behaviour. 

Image by Debbie EM from Pixabay

One day, while fishing, he noticed a bunch of kids hurting a small sea turtle on the shore. The little turtle was different since it had rainbow stripes on its shell. He dashed to save the animal, but the kids did not give up. They captured the turtle, so it was in their custody, and they were not eager to release it. Urashima, seeing no other option, opted to buy that turtle. He handed the children the little money he had in his pocket and released the small turtle into the water. 

A couple of days passed after that. One afternoon, while fishing alone in his boat, he heard someone screaming out his name. It was a sweet, feminine voice. He was astonished because there was no one nearby except water and water all around him. He then noticed the small sea turtle he had saved was staring at him from the water below. He had no idea turtles could speak, yet the turtle was speaking to him.

 

The turtle said, "You are the reason I am still alive today. You are kind-hearted, and I owe you something in return. I wish you could accompany me to the underwater palace of the Dragon King. "How is this possible?" Urashima yelled, "How can I breathe under water?"

 

"Don't worry, my dear. I am going to take care of everything. I have a friend who will take you there. You simply sit on her and close your eyes." With this, a big green turtle showed up from the water to carry Urashima to the deep. Urashima was eager to see the dragon king's underwater palace. Whatever was going on seemed amazing to him. After some hesitation, Urashima leaped onto the enormous turtle and closed his eyes, allowing the turtle to dive into the deep sea.

 

Surprisingly, Urashima found it easy to breathe underwater. He travelled with his eyes closed for a while before realising he had arrived at his destination. The little turtle told him to open his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he was stunned by the sight of a magnificent palace in front of him. The palace was so incredible, full of colours and grandeur, that he couldn't stop looking at it.

 

He then noticed he was standing on the sea floor, surrounded by vibrant fish and corals. He then saw that instead of the small turtle, there was a gorgeous woman clad in a white kimono. The woman gazed at him with unfathomable fondness and smiled as Urashima looked at her with disbelief and admiration.

 

She told Urashima. "I am Otohime, the younger daughter of Dragon King Ryujin, and this is our palace, Ryugu-jo. I went to the beach the other day to busk in the sunlight when some kids caught me. We cannot leave the water in human form. So I was there as a turtle. You saved my life, and I am grateful to you. Allow us to do you a favour and to keep you here as a cherished guest." Urashima was pleased to hear this and decided to stay for a couple of days.

 

He soon noticed that he had evolved gill-like structures behind his ears that allowed him to breathe freely beneath the water. His skin was slimy, like fish, and he was feeling lighter and healthier. The Dragon King personally received him inside the palace. Urashima attended a grand feast and was thrilled by the dancing of the lobsters and fish. However, there was no way to tell the difference between day and night, and spring lasted forever in the palace. The palace was full of brilliance and beauty. He was amazed by everything, but he most enjoyed walking with Otohime in the palace's coral garden. He really enjoyed talking to her and being with her. 

One day, Otohime unexpectedly revealed to him that she loved him and wanted him to marry her. So, they married rather quickly. Days passed like moments, and Uroshima became entranced by the beauty and affection of Otohime. One day, while wandering alone in the palace garden, he had an unexpected flashback to his village and mother. "How could I have become so selfish? I've never thought about my mother since I arrived here. How's she doing? She must be quite concerned about me." he thought.

 

When Otohime returned, she noticed her husband was quite anxious and distressed. She questioned him about what was wrong, as there was nothing to be unhappy or scared about in the palace. Urashima expressed his desire to visit his mother and travel to his village. This took Otoshime by surprise, and she attempted to stop her husband. But, as the days passed, Urashima became increasingly eager to return to his village. Finally, Otohime agreed to accompany him to his home village. However, she told him that once he reached there, he would no longer enjoy the place and would become sad.

 

"Remember, now that you've been here for many days, you're no longer a normal human. You should not stay out of the water for long. Keep this small box with you, but never open it. I should never give you this box, but you can't leave the sea without it. So, I am giving it to you, but please do not open it. Otohime gave him a simple white dress to wear and the gold box to carry.

 

Soon, Urashima was carried to the shore on the back of a giant sea turtle, accompanied by her wife in the form of a small turtle. As he approached the shore, Otohime reminded him that he should return before the end of the day. 

Urashima became perplexed by what he saw on the seashore. Everything was very different. As he approached his village, he could not believe what his eyes. All of the houses were different, as were the roads, and he was unfamiliar with the people living in the village.

 

He overlooked everything and ran toward his home. However, there was only a grass field with several cows grazing there. He had no idea what was going on. So he asked a local about his mother. But the village folk couldn't recognise him or his mother. Soon everyone in the village gathered there, but no one ever heard about him or ever saw him or his mother. Finally, the village's oldest man could recall, when he was a little boy, there was an abandoned home on that field, and his father had once told him that an elderly woman used to live there with his son. But the son went missing in the sea one day, and the woman died soon after from grief. 

The villagers were curious as to how Urashima found out about the woman and the house after so many years. But as Uroshima told them about his journey to the dragon king's palace, they began to laugh, suspecting he was a crazy man. Urashima realised that it had been several years since he had left the hamlet and that everyone he cared about was no longer alive.

 

He was disheartened and chose to return to his wife. When he got to the shore, it was already dusk. Suddenly, he remembered the small container his wife gave him. He looked at the box. It was a golden comb box (tamatebako) with a unique engraving on it. Urashima wondered why his wife had often warned him against opening the box. It occurred to him that if he opened it, he might be able to travel back in time to see his mother once again.

 

Ignoring all warnings, he opened the box and that released a white fume which penetrated his body. He immediately realised he had made a mistake. Within moments, his hair thinned and turned white, wrinkles appeared on his skin, his vision dimmed, and he began to stoop. He realised that the box housed his old age, which he had unleashed unknowingly. Before passing out, he heard his beloved wife saying in an agonising voice, "What you have done, my love...I warned you so many times."

The next morning, the villagers spotted a large dead sea turtle on the beach, alongside a small golden box.