Folktales from Japan

A whale turns into a rock. A man wants to learn to fly, but runs into resistance from the Japanese government.

A child appears from inside a stalk of bamboo. A village makes a kite with the face of an oni.

A wife unwittingly offends a powerful catfish god. Inou Tadataka becomes the first man to make a map of Japan.

A boy throws a rock at a baby kappa, and its father puts a powerful curse on him. The lake moss of the Ainu come to be refered as the heart of the forest.

A hunter outwits a giant ogre called an oni. Two sons find a statue of one of the buddhas while trying to catch fish for their sick mother.

A brother and sister escape from enslavement. Stories are told of Kicchomu, who is famous for his cleverness.

An old woman sacrifices herself to bring prosperity to a starving village. A demon god repairs a destroyed temple.

A girl falls in love with the spirit of a pine tree. A frail lord is tempted into eating more by the power of mustard and lotus root.

A man named Chikaraishi battles Kappa for sumo supremacy. The great buddha of Nara is built over a period of decades.

An ogre possesses a golden ladle. A young boy's beloved horse is brutally treated by a rich man.

A man gains the ability to see others for the animals they really are. A demon roof tile brings misfortune.

A peasant hears about Japanese poetry and decides to try some for himself. A monk whittles 100,000 statues of buddha.

A ghost makes a man strong. Good miso is found only a short distance away.

A snake made of straw comes to life. Uesugi Youzan makes things happen.

A greedy man wants to cheat customers out of tofu. A lowly merchant grows to great riches.

A girl sacrifices herself to save her master's daughter. Sen Rikyuu creates a new style of tea.

Tanuki plow a field for a kind man. Bunzaemon becomes rich selling oranges.

A man gets a bathtub stuck to his butt by an angry god. A warrior challenges the ghosts of Himeji castle.

An oni gives a girl great power. A cat of repays the kindness of its owners.

A man wants to be a Sennin but fails, so he becomes a salesman instead. Kobayashi Issa, the haiku poet, thinks of the sun, the moon, and his soba.

A man falls in love with a carp he catches in a lake. A lord learns the ways of herbs.

A lazy man becomes rich with the help of a god. A raccoon gathers donations for a temple.

A priest statue gives warnings in dreams. A master dollmaker makes a doll from unique materials.

A ninja learns secret techniques. New methods for pottery are divised.