momotaro story summary essay pdf download

The Legend of Momotaro

Momotarô densetsu folktale.

Momotarô is a very popular hero of the Japanese folklore, whose story was presumably first put in writing during Edo period (1603-1868).

As many tales that were passed down orally during centuries, the original story was probably modified and several versions exist today.

The most frequent rendition

Once upon a time, a woman was washing laundry in the river when she saw a giant peach floating toward her. She brought it back to her husband, and when they opened it, they discovered a child, who explained being sent from Heaven to become their son. They named him Momotarô 桃太郎 ( momo meaning "peach" and Tarô being a very common name for firstborn sons in Japan).

Growing up, Momotaro became very strong, but also very lazy , and spent his days sleeping. One day, he heard that demons were living on Onigashima Island (鬼ヶ島). The villagers urged him to go fight the demons. On the way to the battle, Momotaro met and befriended three animals, a dog, a monkey  🐒 and a pheasant, that could speak human language. The group of four arrived in Onigashima where they defeated the demons.

Momotaro and his friends came back to the village after the capture of the demons’ boss, with its treasures and a large quantity of food . They then lived together happily and rich ever after.

Variation of the tale

The second part of the story is often told the same way, but according to another version of the legend, the childless woman was old. She took a bite of the giant peach, which gave her back immediately her youth and beauty. Her husband was surprised when he came back home, but after hearing her explanations, he also ate the fruit, with the same consequence.

The rejuvenated couple then gave birth to Tarô 太郎, a boy who grew up to meet his parents’ expectations: he was kind, brave, strong and friendly (the perfect role model for children ’s tales!).

Posterity of the legend

During the Second World War, Momotaro was largely used in movies and cartoons as a representation of the Japanese government, the animals being the people, and the demons the United States. Onigashima may have been a symbol of Pearl Harbor.

Nowadays, the legend is often linked to Okayama City, from which it probably originates. The demons’ island is said to be Megijima in Seto Inland Sea, near Takamatsu, a place renowned for its wide caves. Statues of demons were even carved there in reference to the tale.

The legend of Momotaro is a normal encounter in daily life in Japan:

• The children’s song Momotarō-san no Uta (1911) is frequently taught in Japanese schools.
• Inuyama City holds a "Momotaro Festival" at the eponymous shrine each year on May 5, and celebrates the hero throughout the town with Momotaro-related decorations, especially on manholes.
• A Momotaro doll is a common gift for boys on Kodomo no Hi , the children’s day on May 5.

The Japanese popular culture also took over the legend and Momotaro’s character is featured in many manga and video games:

• He appears for example in Akira Toriyama’s Dr Slump ,
• In One Piece , Wanokuni arc and Onigashima battle are direct references to the legend, including the role of the kibi dango  🍡 dumplings,
• In Hozuki no reitetsu ( Hozuki’s Coolheadedness ), Momotaro is first introduced as an opportunist and a bragger. His animal friends become zealous employees of Hell.

It is also possible that Roald Dahl’s novel, and consequently the adapted animated movie James and the Giant Peach (Henry Selick – 1996), were freely inspired from Momotaro’s tale.

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Story of the Son of a Peach

Japanese folk tale

• " Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of a Peach " by Sazanami Iwaya , translated by Yei Theodora Ozaki , illustrated by Kakuzō Fujiyama , in The Japanese Fairy Book  (1908)
• " The Adventures of Little Peachling ", edited by Arthur Rackham and Algernon Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale , illustrated by Arthur Rackham , in The Allies′ Fairy Book  (1916)

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of a Peach

By yei theodora ozaki.

L ong, long ago there lived, an old man and an old woman; they were peasants, and had to work hard to earn their daily rice. The old man used to go and cut grass for the farmers around, and while he was gone the old woman, his wife, did the work of the house and worked in their own little rice field.

One day the old man went to the hills as usual to cut grass and the old woman took some clothes to the river to wash.

It was nearly summer, and the country was very beautiful to see in its fresh greenness as the two old people went on their way to work. The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald velvet, and the pussy willows along the edge of the water were shaking out their soft tassels.

The breezes blew and ruffled the smooth surface of the water into wavelets, and passing on touched the cheeks of the old couple who, for some reason they could not explain, felt very happy that morning.

The old woman at last found a nice spot by the river bank and put her basket down. Then she set to work to wash the clothes; she took them one by one out of the basket and washed them in the river and rubbed them on the stones. The water was as clear as crystal, and she could see the tiny fish swimming to and fro, and the pebbles at the bottom.

As she was busy washing her clothes a great peach came bumping down the stream. The old woman looked up from her work and saw this large peach. She was sixty years of age, yet in all her life she had never seen such a big peach as this.

“How delicious that peach must be!” she said to herself. “I must certainly get it and take it home to my old man.”

She stretched out her arm to try and get it, but it was quite out of her reach. She looked about for a stick, but there was not one to be seen, and if she went to look for one she would lose the peach.

Stopping a moment to think what she would do, she remembered an old charm-verse. Now she began to clap her hands to keep time to the rolling of the peach down stream, and while she clapped she sang this song:

“Distant water is bitter, The near water is sweet; Pass by the distant water And come into the sweet.”

Strange to say, as soon as she began to repeat this little song the peach began to come nearer and nearer the bank where the old woman was standing, till at last it stopped just in front of her so that she was able to take it up in her hands. The old woman was delighted. She could not go on with her work, so happy and excited was she, so she put all the clothes back in her bamboo basket, and with the basket on her back and the peach in her hand she hurried homewards.

It seemed a very long time to her to wait till her husband returned. The old man at last came back as the sun was setting, with a big bundle of grass on his back — so big that he was almost hidden and she could hardly see him. He seemed very tired and used the scythe for a walking stick, leaning on it as he walked along.

As soon as the old woman saw him she called out:

“O Fii San! (old man) I have been waiting for you to come home for such a long time to-day!”

“What is the matter? Why are you so impatient?” asked the old man, wondering at her unusual eagerness. “Has anything happened while I have been away?”

“Oh, no!” answered the old woman, “nothing has happened, only I have found a nice present for you!”

“That is good,” said the old man. He then washed his feet in a basin of water and stepped up to the veranda.

The old woman now ran into the little room and brought out from the cupboard the big peach. It felt even heavier than before. She held it up to him, saying:

“Just look at this! Did you ever see such a large peach in all your life?”

When the old man looked at the peach he was greatly astonished and said:

“This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen! Wherever did you buy it?”

“I did not buy it,” answered the old woman. “I found it in the river where I was washing.” And she told him the whole story.

“I am very glad that you have found it. Let us eat it now, for I am hungry,” said the O Fii San.

He brought out the kitchen knife, and, placing the peach on a board, was about to cut it when, wonderful to tell, the peach split in two of itself and a clear voice said:

“Wait a bit, old man!” and out stepped a beautiful little child.

The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw that they fell to the ground. The child spoke again:

“Don’t be afraid. I am no demon or fairy. I will tell you the truth. Heaven has had compassion on you. Every day and every night you have lamented that you had no child. Your cry has been heard and I am sent to be the son of your old age!”

On hearing this the old man and his wife were very happy. They had cried night and day for sorrow at having no child to help them in their lonely old age, and now that their prayer was answered they were so lost with joy that they did not know where to put their hands or their feet. First the old man took the child up in his arms, and then the old woman did the same; and they named him MOMOTARO, OR SON OF A PEACH, because he had come out of a peach.

The years passed quickly by and the child grew to be fifteen years of age. He was taller and far stronger than any other boys of his own age, he had a handsome face and a heart full of courage, and he was very wise for his years. The old couple’s pleasure was very great when they looked at him, for he was just what they thought a hero ought to be like.

One day Momotaro came to his foster-father and said solemnly:

“Father, by a strange chance we have become father and son. Your goodness to me has been higher than the mountain grasses which it was your daily work to cut, and deeper than the river where my mother washes the clothes. I do not know how to thank you enough.”

“Why,” answered the old man, “it is a matter of course that a father should bring up his son. When you are older it will be your turn to take care of us, so after all there will be no profit or loss between us — all will be equal. Indeed, I am rather surprised that you should thank me in this way!” and the old man looked bothered.

“I hope you will be patient with me,” said Momotaro; “but before I begin to pay back your goodness to me I have a request to make which I hope you will grant me above everything else.”

“I will let you do whatever you wish, for you are quite different to all other boys!”

“Then let me go away at once!”

“What do you say? Do you wish to leave your old father and mother and go away from your old home?”

“I will surely come back again, if you let me go now!”

“Where are you going?”

“You must think it strange that I want to go away,” said Momotaro, “because I have not yet told you my reason. Far away from here to the northeast of Japan there is an island in the sea. This island is the stronghold of a band of devils. I have often heard how they invade this land, kill and rob the people, and carry off all they can find. They are not only very wicked but they are disloyal to our Emperor and disobey his laws. They are also cannibals, for they kill and eat some of the poor people who are so unfortunate as to fall into their hands. These devils are very hateful beings. I must go and conquer them and bring back all the plunder of which they have robbed this land. It is for this reason that I want to go away for a short time!”

The old man was much surprised at hearing all this from a mere boy of fifteen. He thought it best to let the boy go. He was strong and fearless, and besides all this, the old man knew he was no common child, for he had been sent to them as a gift from Heaven, and he felt quite sure that the devils would be powerless to harm him.

“All you say is very interesting, Momotaro,” said the old man. “I will not hinder you in your determination. You may go if you wish. Go to the island as soon as ever you like and destroy the demons and bring peace to the land.”

“Thank you, for all your kindness,” said Momotaro, who began to get ready to go that very day. He was full of courage and did not know what fear was.

The old man and woman at once set to work to pound rice in the kitchen mortar to make cakes for Momotaro to take with him on his journey.

At last the cakes were made and Momotaro was ready to start on his long journey.

Parting is always sad. So it was now. The eyes of the two old people were filled with tears and their voices trembled as they said:

“Go with all care and speed. We expect you back victorious!”

Momotaro was very sorry to leave his old parents (though he knew he was coming back as soon as he could), for he thought of how lonely they would be while he was away. But he said “Good-by!” quite bravely.

“I am going now. Take good care of yourselves while I am away. Good-by!” And he stepped quickly out of the house. In silence the eyes of Momotaro and his parents met in farewell.

Momotaro now hurried on his way till it was midday. He began to feel hungry, so he opened his bag and took out one of the rice-cakes and sat down under a tree by the side of the road to eat it. While he was thus having his lunch a dog almost as large as a colt came running out of the high grass. He made straight for Momotaro, and showing his teeth, said in a fierce way:

“You are a rude man to pass my field without asking permission first. If you leave me all the cakes you have in your bag you may go; otherwise I will bite you till I kill you!”

Momotaro only laughed scornfully:

“What is that you are saying? Do you know who I am? I am Momotaro, and I am on my way to subdue the devils in their island stronghold in the northeast of Japan. If you try to stop me on my way there I will cut you in two from the head downwards!”

The dog’s manner at once changed. His tail dropped between his legs, and coming near he bowed so low that his forehead touched the ground.

“What do I hear? The name of Momotaro? Are you indeed Momotaro? I have often heard of your great strength. Not knowing who you were I have behaved in a very stupid way. Will you please pardon my rudeness? Are you indeed on your way to invade the Island of Devils? If you will take such a rude fellow with you as one of your followers, I shall be very grateful to you.”

“I think I can take you with me if you wish to go,” said Momotaro.

“Thank you!” said the dog. “By the way, I am very very hungry. Will you give me one of the cakes you are carrying?”

Public Relations Office, Government of Japan

Home > Highlighting JAPAN > Highlighting Japan June 2014 >Student's Corner

Highlighting JAPAN

Student's corner, the legend of momotaro.

Once upon a time there lived an old man and woman. The old man went up into the mountains to gather firewood, while the old woman went down to the river to wash their clothes. One day, as the woman was doing the wash, a giant peach came bobbing along in the current. She pulled the giant peach out and carried it back home. When her husband came back, they began to cut the peach open for dinner. To their surprise, there was a healthy young baby boy inside! The couple had no children, so they were overjoyed to have a baby to call their own. They named him Momotaro, which means "Peach Boy." Momotaro quickly grew up into a strong young lad. Around that time, some nasty ogres started harassing the village. One day, Momotaro told his parents he would go to the ogres' island and get rid of them for good. His mother fixed him some tasty millet dumplings, called kibi-dango , for his journey. Along the way, Momotaro met a dog. "Momotaro, where are you going?" "I'm going to the ogres' island, to stop them for good." "What's that tied to your belt?" "It's a pouch full of the finest dumplings in Japan." "Please give me one. I'll help you on your quest." The dog received a dumpling and accompanied Momotaro. Before long, the pair met a monkey. "Momotaro, where are you going?" "I'm going to the ogres' island, to stop them for good." "What's that tied to your belt?" "It's a pouch full of the finest dumplings in Japan." "Please give me one. I'll help you on your quest." And so he did. Then they met a pheasant. "Momotaro, where are you going?" "I'm going to the ogres' island, to stop them for good." "What's that tied to your belt?" "It's a pouch full of the finest dumplings in Japan." "Please give me one. I'll help you on your quest." The pheasant gratefully received a dumpling and joined the group. With dog, monkey and pheasant companions at his side, Momotaro finally reached the ogres' island. The ogres were in the middle of merrymaking. They had piled up the food and treasures they stole from nearby villages and were having a party. "Attack the fiends!" Momotaro shouted. The dog bit the ogres' bottoms, the monkey jumped onto their backs and scratched, and the pheasant pecked at their eyes. Momotaro, brandishing his sword, charged into the lot. Finally the ogre chief threw up his hands and said, "Enough, enough! We give up!" Momotaro, the dog, the monkey and the pheasant collected the treasures and returned triumphantly to the village. His mother and father were delighted to see that Momotaro had returned safely. The three lived happily ever after.

The home of the Momotaro legend

Okayama Prefecture in western Honshu is well known as the birthplace of the Momotaro legend. Kibitsuhiko Shrine and Kibitsu Shrine are dedicated to Kibitsu-hiko-no-mikoto, a legendary prince on whom Momotaro is supposedly based. The millet dumplings ( kibi-dango ) that Momotaro brought on his quest are sold everywhere in Okayama as a regional specialty. A statue of Momotaro and his companions stands proudly in front of Okayama Station, so why not pretend you're one of his traveling companions and snap a photo with them?

No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form .

© 2009 Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

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Momotaro is one of the most widely heard folktales in Japanese society, even becoming a compulsory material taught in all elementary schools in Japan. Folktale is something that reflects the structure of thinking of society. Therefore, the folktale of Momotaro was examined to reveal the thinking structure covered in the story. The thought is the view of Japanese society towards people outside their community. This view in Japanese culture is very important. Surprisingly, until now there has been no researcher who relates this folktale to this view. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to fill this void, by presenting a new interpretation different from the previous studies. This research is cultural research, not literary research. Almost all cultural research on Momotaro cannot be separated from the use of a historical approach. What distinguishes it from previous research is the use of a non-historical approach. This study used Levi-Strauss’ structural approach. This approach i...

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Momotaro : a traditional story

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製複許不録登権作著

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Published by T. HASEGAWA, 17 Kami Negishi, Tokyo, Japan.

LITTLE PEACHLING.

A long long time ago there lived an old man and an old woman. One day the old man went to the mountains to cut grass; and the old woman went to the river to wash clothes. While she was washing a great big thing came tumbling and splashing down the stream. When the old woman saw it she was very glad, and pulled it to her with a piece of bamboo that lay near by.

When she took it up and looked at it she saw that it was a very large peach. She then quickly finished her washing and returned home intending to give the peach to her old man to eat.

When she cut the peach in two, out came a child from the large kernel. Seeing this the old couple rejoiced, and named the child Momotaro, or Little Peachling, because he came out of a peach. As both the old people took good care of him, he grew and became strong and enterprising. So the old couple had their expectations raised, and bestowed still more care on his education.

Momotaro finding that he excelled every body in strength determined to cross over to the island of the devils, take their riches, and come back. He at once consulted with the old man and the old woman about the matter, and got them to make him some dumplings. These he put in his pouch. Besides this he made every kind of preparation for his journey to the island of the devils and set out.

Then first a dog came to the side of the way and said; "Momotaro! What have you there hanging at your belt?" He replied: "I have some of the very best Japanese millet dumplings." "Give me one and I will go with you," said the dog. So Momotaro took a dumpling out of his pouch and gave it to the dog. Then a monkey came and got one the same way. A pheasant also came flying and said: "Give me a dumpling too, and I will go along with you." So all three went along with him. In no time they arrived at the island of the devils, and at once broke through the front gate; Momotaro first; then his three followers. Here they met a great multitude of the devil's retainers who showed fight, but they pressed still inwards, and at last encountered the chief of the devils, called Akandoji. Then came the tug of war. Akandoji made at Momotaro with an iron club, but Momotaro was ready for him, and dodged him adroitly. At last they grappled each other, and without difficulty Momotaro just crushed down Akandoji and tied him with a rope so tight that he could not even move. All this was done in a fair fight.

After this Akandoji the chief of the devils said he would surrender all his riches. "Out with your riches then;" said Momotaro laughing. Having collected and ranged in order a great pile of precious things, Momotaro took them, and set out for his home, rejoicing, as he marched bravely back, that, with the help of his three companions, to whom he attributed all his success, he had been able so easily to accomplish his end.

Great was the joy of the old man and the old woman when Momotaro came back. He feasted every body bountifully, told many stories of his adventure, displayed his riches, and at last became a leading man, a man of influence, very rich and honorable; a man to be very much congratulated indeed!!

JAPANESE FAIRY TALE SERIES.

JAPANESE FAIRY TALE SERIES. 1. Momotaro or Little Peachling. 2. The Tongue Cut Sparrow. 3. The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab. 4. The Old Man who made the Dead Trees Blossom. 5. Kachi-Kachi Mountain. 6. The Mouses' Wedding. 7. The Old Man and the Devils. 8. Urashima, the Fisher-boy. 9. The Eight-Headed Serpent. 10. The Matsuyama Mirror. 11. The Hare of Inaba. 12. The Cub's Triumph. 13. The Silly Jelly-Fish. 14. The Princes Fire-Flash and Fire-Fade 15. My Lord Rag-o'-Rice. 16. The Wonderful Tea-Kettle. 17. Schippeitaro. 18. The Ogre's Arm. 19. The Ogres of Oyeyama. 20. The Enchanted Waterfall. 2nd Series No. 1. The Goblin-Spider. "        "      "    2. The Wonderful Mallet. "        "      "    3. The Broken Images.