Technically there are four Taros, but these are still five legends worth knowing.
Our Japanese-language reporter Natsuno Futon recently took a trip to Fukushima Prefecture to visit its Pokémon Chansey Park. For her next park-going day, she once again found beloved Japanese characters waiting to greet her, but of much more classic vintages.
Natsuno had heard about a neighborhood in the town of Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, which has a cluster of five “Taro Parks.” Taro is a common male name in Japan. As a matter of fact, it’s so common as to feel plain and pedestrian. These five parks’ Taros aren’t just any Taros, however, but some of the most beloved and iconic characters from Japanese folktales, starting with Momotaro.
▼ Kakamigahara’s Momotaro Park
Momotaro is also known as “Peach Boy,” since the legend goes that he was found inside of a giant peach that was plucked out of a river by a kind elderly couple. Having no children of their own, the couple raised Momotaro, and he grew into a gallant young man. How gallant? When demons called oni began terrorizing the local villages, Momotaro sailed to their fortress island and slew the beasts, bringing peace to the realm once again.
A statue of Momotaro stands in Kakamigahara’s Momotaro Park, and the sculptor even made sure to include his pouch of kibi dango, the dumpling treats that Momotaro used to secure the cooperation of the dog, monkey, and pheasant companions who aided him in his adventure.
Aside from the statue, there’s a pleasant covered rest area in the park, but rather than sit for too long, Natsuno and her kids were off to see the next Taro…
…Kintaro, who has his own park about a five-minute walk away.
▼ Route from Momotaro Park to Kintaro Park
And yes, that is a statue of a little kid, holding an ax, riding a bear.
As with many folktales, there are alternate versions of Kintaro’s tale. Some say he was the son of a samurai who was on the losing end of some sort of conflict, causing his mother to flee their estate and lay low during his childhood. Others say that Kintaro was abandoned in the woods by his parents as an infant. Regardless of how he got there, though, the stories all converge with Kintaro growing up in the rugged wilderness, sumo wrestling bears and otherwise beating the local wildlife in feats of strength and earning their respect as he grows into a mighty warrior in his own right.
Another thing all versions of the Kintaro story have in common is the character’s attire; an apron-like garment with the kanji character for kin/gold (金) on the front, but which also leaves his backside completely exposed. Natsuno decided to check if the Kintaro Park’s statue adheres to this aesthetic, and sure enough, it does.
▼ Kintaro is riding that bear both bare-backed and bare-backsided.
In keeping with Kintaro’s active childhood, his park has a bit of playground equipment…
…but after Natsuno’s kids made a few trips down the slide it was on to the third Taro at Urashima Taro Park, a six-minute walk away.
▼ Kintaro Park to Urashima Taro Park
Urashima Taro Park also has some play equipment, but Natsuno couldn’t spot Urashima Taro himself at first. Eventually, though, she found him…
Urashima Taro is sometimes described as Japan’s equivalent to Rip Van Winkle. In his story, Urashima Taro is on the beach and sees a group of children tormenting a sea turtle. After chasing the children off, the turtle, or in some versions of the story its mother, takes Urashima Taro to the palace of the Sea Dragon at the bottom of the ocean, so that he can be properly thanked. After a few days of enjoying the palace’s luxurious hospitality, Urashima Taro wishes to return home, and is given a box but warned never to open it. Upon arriving, he discovers that though he only felt like he’d been gone a short while, several decades have passed on the surface. Unable to resist the temptation to open the box, Urashima Taro opens the lid and the weight of the years he was gone escapes, instantly transforming him into an old man.
▼ Enjoy those boyish looks while you can, Urashima Taro.
With two more Taro Parks to go, Natsuno’s next destination was Issun-boshi Park.
▼ The six-minute walk from Urashima Taro Park to Issun-boshi Park
First thing first: Issun-boshi Park is the only one of the five Taro Parks without a Taro in it. Still, Issun-boshi fits with the theme of heroes from Japanese folklore, and his statue is, in fact, many times larger than his in-story size.
A sun was an old unit of measurement in Japan, equal to about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches). Issun-boshi only grew to be a single sun tall, but nevertheless set out to become a hero, using a rice bowl as a boat, a single chopstick as an oar, and strapping a needle to his side as his katana as he ventured forth, eventually defeating a demon and winning the hand of a fair maiden in marriage.
And to complete their circuit of the five Taro Parks, Natsuno strolled over to Ryu no Ko Taro Park, four minutes away.
▼ Issun-boshi Park to Ryu no Ko Taro Park
“Ryu no Ko” means “Dragon’s Child,” so Natsuno wasn’t surprised to see this statue of a boy riding on the back of a dragon in the park.
However, unlike Momotaro, Kintaro, Urashima Taro, and Issun-boshi, whose stories everyone in Japan knows, this was actually Natsuno’s first time to hear of Ryu no Ko Taro. After looking into it, she learned that it’s the story of an indolent boy named Taro who’s given the gift of superhuman strength, but only when using it to help others. Taro’s journey to become a better person overlaps with his search for his mother, who has transformed into a dragon, and along the way he meets a host of creatures from Japanese folklore, some helpful and others very much not (and if you’re thinking that sounds like it could be the plot of an anime, a Ryu no Ko Taro anime movie was made in 1979).
Looking at the statues, it’s pretty clear that they were made by the same sculptor, or at least made by craftsmen working off designs made by the same artist. However, it’s not clear exactly how the five Taro Parks came about. When we checked with the Kakamigahara City Hall, they told us that parks were originally built and managed by the surrounding residential area’s property developer. Several years ago, though, their administration was transferred to the city itself, and there are no records of any specific reason for giving these parks their folklore theme. Together, though, they serve as a connection between modern Japan and its past, and show that the country has always enjoyed good stories about brave heroes.
Park information
Momotaro Park / 桃太郎公園
Address: Gifu-ken, Kakamigahara-shi, Higashiyama 5-19
岐阜県各務原市東山５丁目１９
Photos ©SoraNews24
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