The Japanese Story Project: “Momotaro”
Tags: Folklore, Japanese Culture, Japan, Folktales, Japanese

Translation by Kunimasa Nerome

Edited by Jenny Auld

Illustration by T Hasegawa

Long before there was James and the Giant Peach, there was Momotaro, the boy who sprang out of an oversized peach that had floated down the river to the feet of his kindly adoptive parents. The story of the hero Momotaro, whose name derives from momo, Japanese for “peach,” is one of the best known in Japan, and references to it appear constantly in Japanese popular culture, including the charming 1999 comedy from Studio Ghibli, My Neighbours the Yamadas. (If you enjoy other Ghibli films, don’t miss this often-overlooked, heartwarming gem!)

The lively story of Momotaro is simple enough: a hero’s journey in which the peach-born boy, now a young man, sets off to test his strength on an island infested with Oni (demons). Accompanying him are three rambunctious animal companions: a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant — who happily work for a mochi-based snack called kibidango and the chance to sail a boat.

Here is an excerpt from the new translation by Kunimasa Nerome.

***

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. Day after day, the old man went to the mountain to cut wood, and the old woman went to the river to do laundry.

One day, when the old woman was doing the laundry by the river, there came a giant peach — donburakokko sukkokko . . . donburakokko sukkokko — floating down the stream.

“Oh, my!” said the woman, “what a wonderful peach that is! Why don’t I bring it home as a souvenir for the old man?”

She tried to reach out to grasp the peach, but it was too far. So she began to sing to the peach and clap a little rhythm.

The water over there is yucky, but the water over here is a treat!

Avoid the water that’s bitter; come to the water that’s sweet!

And then, the peach — donburakokko sukkokko . . . donburakokko sukkokko — started floating toward her.

“I can’t wait to share this with the old man!” exclaimed the old woman joyfully as she gathered up the peach. She stowed it in her laundry bucket and went home with a spring in her step.

In the evening, the old man came home as usual, with his bundle of brushwood on his back.

“Lady, I’m home,” he called out.

“Oh, dear, welcome back!” the old woman exclaimed, “I was waiting for you. Hurry up and come in! I have something good to share with you.”

“Lovely! So what is it that’s good?”

The old man took off his sandals and entered the house. Meanwhile, the old woman ran and took the giant peach off the shelf and heaved it over to the old man.

“Here! Look at this peach!”

“Wow, isn’t this something!” said the old man. “Where did you buy such an impressive peach?”

“I didn’t buy it! I found it in the river today and brought it home.”

“Found it and brought it from the river? Now, that’s a rare thing!” The old man held the peach and inspected it curiously.

Suddenly, there came a cry. The peach split in half and out came a sweet-faced, lively baby!

“Oh . . . my . . . !” The old man and the old woman gasped in astonishment. “Well, we have always been praying for a child — this must be a gift from a god who heard our sincere wish!”

The lowly house bustled with activity. The old man boiled water, and the old woman prepared a diaper. Finally, the old woman picked up the baby and put him in the bath. “Ungh,” the baby grunted and pushed her arm away.

“Well, well. What an energetic baby this is!” The old man and old woman looked at each other and chuckled with delight.

Since the baby was born from a peach, his parents named him Momotaro.

Part 2

The old man and the old woman raised Momotaro with great care. Compared with the other children, he grew much bigger and much more powerful. Nobody in the village could beat him in sumo wrestling, but he had a kind and sensible nature, and he was helpful to his parents.

When Momotaro turned fifteen years old, nobody in Japan was stronger than he was. He began to think of ways to test his power to its fullest beyond the borders of Japan.

A traveler returned to Japan after a voyage around to foreign islands. He told Momotaro some interesting stories. “If you sail years and years, oceans and oceans away,” said the traveler, “there is an island called Onigashima. On the island there is a stern iron castle inhabited by evil Oni. They hoard treasures that they have plundered from other countries.”

After hearing the traveler’s tales, Momotaro wanted to go and see Onigashima for himself very much, to the extent he could no longer stand it.

The moment he got home, he asked his father, “Please allow me to go off a while by myself.”

“Where are you going?” asked the old man in surprise.

“I would like to go to Onigashima to fight the Oni.”

“Well, isn’t that brave and ambitious! Alright, you have my permission,” said the old man.

“You surely will be very hungry on such a long trip,” said his mother. “Let me prepare some food to take with you.” The old man and the old woman brought a large usu out to the middle of the back garden. Pentarakokko pentarakokko, pentarakokko pentarakokko. The old man pounded the rice. The old woman turned the rice.

As his parents finished making the kibidango, Momotaro finished packing up for his trip. He put on the jinbaori garment of a samurai, with a katana by his side. He hung the food packet on the handle of the katana. He carried a fan in his hand.

Momotaro bowed down and said, “Alright, mother and father. Off I go.”

“Alright, then. Hope you’ll do well in your quest,” said his father.

“Be safe. Please don’t get injured!” said his mother.

“I’ll be fine. I have the best kibidango in Japan. I wish you well!” Momotaro said loudly and departed.

The old man and the old woman stood by the house gate. They looked down the road for a long, long time.

Part 3

As Momotaro went on his way, he soon reached the top of a mountain.

Suddenly: wan! wan! A dog jumped out from a bush.

Momotaro turned around. The dog bowed down respectfully. “Momotaro-san, Momotaro-san,*” said the dog, “where are you heading to?”

“I am heading to Onigashima to exterminate their Oni,” said Momotaro.

“What do you have by your side?”

“This is the best kibidango in Japan.”

“Can you give me one, and I will accompany your journey?”

“Alright, I’ll give you one. Come with me.”

The dog received one kibidango and followed after Momotaro.

They came down the mountain and began to make their way through a forest.

“Khya! khya!” a monkey came down from a tree.

As Momotaro turned around, the monkey bowed down respectfully and asked, “Momotaro-san, Momotaro-san, where are you heading to?”

“I am heading to Onigashima to exterminate Oni,” answered Momotaro.

“What do you have by your side?”

“This is the best kibidango in Japan.”

“Can you give me one, and I will accompany you on your journey?”

“Alright, I’ll give you one. Come with me.”

The monkey, too, received one kibidango and followed Momotaro.

They descended the mountain, made their way through the forest, and emerged in a wide field.

“Khen! khen!” screamed a pheasant, high in the sky. It flew down and landed behind Momotaro.

As Momotaro turned around, the pheasant bowed respectfully and asked, “Momotaro-san, Momotaro-san, where are you heading to?”

“I am heading to Onigashima to exterminate the Oni.”

“What do you have by your side?”

“This is the best kibidango in Japan.”

“Can you give me one, and I will accompany your journey?”

“Alright, I’ll give you one. Come with me.”

The pheasant, too, received one kibidango and followed Momotaro.

A dog, a monkey, and a pheasant! Having gained three new followers, Momotaro became even more energetic for his journey.

As they went on their path, they at last reached the ocean. Conveniently, they found a ship tied to the dock. Momotaro and his followers got on board.

“I will be in charge of rowing,” said the dog as he set about rowing.

“I will be in charge of steering,” said the monkey, sitting by the rudder.

“I will be in charge of lookout,” said the pheasant, perching on the prow of the boat.

The weather was calm, and there was not a single wave in the pure blue ocean. The boat sped along as swift as an arrow.

An hour or so later, the pheasant cried out loudly. “There! There! An island!” He flapped his wings, vaulted up to the sky, and flew away, cutting smoothly through the wind.

Momotaro watched the pheasant fly towards a black shadow that looked like a cloud in the far ocean. As the ship drew closer, it became apparent that it was indeed an island.

Illustration by T Hasegawa

Kunimasa Nerome ( 根路銘 国真 ) was born and raised in Okinawa (沖縄), Japan. He is in his fourth year of study in political science at The University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. He loves bicycles, raccoons, and ramen, not necessarily in that order.

Jenny Auld was born in Vancouver, Canada. She has an honours degree in linguistics from UBC, with a specialization in the history and structure of the English language. She has written and edited for various publications, and is also an exhibiting artist, with three solo shows at Art Sui Gallery in Taipei, Taiwan. She likes ginger milk tea, riding her bike, and watching way too many Korean dramas.