page_title: Jiraiya
section_title: Classic tale
hierarchical_section_title: Jiraiya / Classic tale
context_page_description: Jiraiya, originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki, is the toad-riding character of the Japanese folk tale Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari. The tale was adapted into a 19th-century serial novel, a kabuki drama, several films, video games, and a manga and has also influenced various other works.
context_section_description: In the legend, Jiraiya is a ninja who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. As the heir of the mighty Ogata clan in Kyūshū, Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade (綱手), a beautiful young maiden who has mastered slug magic. His arch-enemy was his one-time follower Yashagorō (夜叉五郎), later known as Orochimaru (大蛇丸), a master of serpent magic (the kanji 大蛇 literally means "giant snake" or "serpent"). It was first recorded in 1806.
  A novel version of the story was written by different authors and published in 43 installments from 1839 to 1868; one of its illustrators was woodblock artist Kunisada. Kawatake Mokuami wrote a kabuki drama based on the first ten parts of the novel, which premiered in Edo in 1852, starring Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII in the leading role.
caption: Jiraiya riding a giant toad, depicted in an 1866 print by Yoshitoshi
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