Momotaro, the Peach Boy of Japan

Greetings PHG fans! One of the things I enjoyed about living in Japan was the abundance of local culture. From the shrines and religious festivals to monuments to legends and folktales, Japan has no small amount of important cultural sites alongside their historical ones. One of the more famous Japanese legends is that of Momotaro, the Peach Boy. The last thing I'd want to do here on PHG is oversimplify a complex topic, but it feels like the right time to discuss it as a statue of Momotaro was recently stolen from a park in San Jose, California. Shocking as that is, it's a good chance to talk about popular Japanese legend with my fellow foreigners, so let's dig in!

The legend of Momotaro goes roughly like this: an elderly, childless couple find a large peach. When they cut it open, there's a boy inside. He has enormous strength, and helps his elderly parents in their chores. One day, a group of oni (Japanese demons) rob his parent's house. Momotaro pledges to avenge them, and travels to the island where the oni live. Along the way, he meets a dog, monkey, and pheasant, who help him defeat the oni and return home with the stolen goods, and one of the oni as a hostage.

Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木 春信; c. 1725-1770): ukiyo-e depicting Momotarō returning with treasures after slaying the demons on Onigashima

This story, like many folktales, has murky beginnings, and various differences. The oldest roots are oral traditions in the Muromachi Period, and as Japan grew from the Edo Period through the Meiji era, several changes occurred to the story. Whether or not Momotaro was born from a peach, or from a woman who ate the peach, is one area of disagreement. His age is another; some sources have him at 30 years old at the time of his expedition to defeat the oni; others have him at 15.

Probably the biggest change to the story in modern Japan is whether or not Momotaro came from Okayama Prefecture. This has little concensus in modern scholarship, and in fact there are two other areas where the Momotaro legend has been attributed to, in Aichi and Kagawa Prefectures. Okayama, however seems to have cornered the market and you can find a statue of Momotaro outside Okayama Station, at the Okayama Airport, and memorabilia throughout the city and prefecture. You can eat the kibi-dango that Momotaro gives his animal allies in the legend, and peaches can be found everywhere from mochi stands to bars to noodle shops.

Statue of Momotaro outside Okayama Station, Okayama, Japan

Over the years, Momotaro has become an ubiquitous hero throughout Japan. In addition to children's stories and morality tales, he was used in war propaganda from 1894 right through to the end of the Second World War. While I won't share that artwork here, it is easily acceisble online. Thankully, Momotaro today is more of a positive character that implores young Japanese children to respect their parents, stand up to bullies, and make friends. If you happen to travel through Japan, I encourage you to enjoy a local Momotaro legend; if you're in Okayama, grab some kibi-dango and visit Kinojo Castle or Kibitsuhiko-jinja Shrine!

Keep discovering,

Tony