The Ryugu Shrine at Ibutsuki, just outside of Kagoshima City, contains beautifully lacquered structures inspired by descriptions of the dragon palace.

Kagoshima Prefecture, at the southern tip of Japan, is said to be TarЕЌвЂ™s birthplace.

The supposed spirit of the young fisherman is enshrined at the rather remote Urashima Shrine in northern Kyoto province.

TarЕЌ himself has appeared in video games and Anime too.

While the enigmatic folktale itself is seldom referenced in whole on tourist souvenirs, the dragon palace and Otohime are occasionally used as design motifs on souvenir packagings.

As is often the case with such stories, there are numerous versions of the story.

The tragic tale of Urashima TarЕЌ is one of the oldest Japanese folklore stories, circulated as early as the fifth century.

The days TarЕЌ spent there equated to years in the mortal world. Time passes differently in the dragon palace.

It is generally believed that the box, known as tamatebako in Japanese, contained TarЕЌвЂ™s age.

Notes and Tourist Attractions Associated With Urashima TarЕЌ

After the smoke dissipated, TarЕЌ was transformed into a white-haired elderly man. A cloud of white smoke then emerged, completely engulfing the young fisherman. Expectedly, kibi-dango is nowadays a popular souvenir/snack in Okayama Prefecture.Дistraught, TarЕЌ forgot OtohimeвЂ™s warning and opened the parting gift. The young hero subsequently used these sticky sweets to recruit the dog, monkey, and pheasant.

In some versions of this popular folktale, MomotarЕЌвЂ™s parents gave him a stick of three kibi-dango before he left home.

He is often also described as a role model in Japanese childrenвЂ™s books. He has appeared in games, Manga, Anime, etc. MomotarЕЌ is one of the most frequently depicted or referenced mythological heroes in Japanese popular media.

The island of the demons is said to be Megijima, a small isle near Takamatsu located across the Seto Inland Sea from Okayama City.

Today, MomotarЕЌ is the informal tourist mascot for Okayama City, often found on souvenirs and gifts.

This quirky Japanese folklore story originated from the Okayama region.

Notes and Tourist Attractions Associated With MomotarЕЌ His family, him, and his animal friends thereafter lived in great comfort and fame. Together with his faithful retainers, MomotarЕЌ defeated the demons and returned home with many riches. During this expedition, he recruited a grand army, one that consisted of a talking dog, a monkey, and a pheasant. Years later, a teenage MomotarЕЌ embarked on a perilous journey to a distant island to combat demon brigands.

Japanese symbol for female yuki