Urashima Tarō-Urasima Tarō (うらしまたろう)

Translation: none; that's his name
Alias: Urajimako, Urajimako, Mizunoe Urajima, etc.

Appearance: Urashima Taro is the name of a boy who visits the Dragon King's palace, meets a princess, and comes back to tell about it.

Origin: The Urashima legend is one of the most famous stories in Japan. The oldest recorded versions of the Urashima legend can be found in 8th century writings such as the Nihon Shoki, the Manyoshu, and the Dango no Kokoro. In the early days he was known as Mizunoie Urashima, but by the Middle Ages the name Urashima Taro had become widespread. Over the years, his legends have changed considerably, including his name, the time he left his home town, the places he visited, and so on. Nonetheless, they all follow the same pattern: a boy saves a turtle, visits a magical land, and returns to a world he no longer recognizes. Urashima Shrine in Kyoto's Tango Peninsula was dedicated to him in 825 AD.

Legend: Once upon a time, there was a fisherman's boy named Taro Urashima. He went down to the sea every day to fish to feed himself and his aging mother. One day, as he was returning home with his meager catch, he saw a group of boys torturing a sea turtle on the beach. He sympathized with the poor animal and offered to buy the turtle from there with the fish he caught that day. The boys accept the deal and Taro releases the poor turtle back into the ocean. As it swam into the surf, it looked back at Taro as if in gratitude.

The next day, when Taro came home from fishing, he was washed up next to him by a big wave, and a huge sea turtle appeared on the beach. It bowed and then addressed Taro. It thanked him for saving his daughter the other day. As a reward, the turtle offered to take Taro to the Dragon Palace, the palace of the Sea Dragon King.

Urashima Taro climbed onto the turtle's back. The turtle dives into the ocean. They went deeper and deeper to the bottom along the way. They came to a splendid palace. A beautiful young princess named Ehime appeared from the palace and welcomed Taro to the Dragon Palace.

Inside the palace, fish come and go in the great hall. A great banquet was held in honor of Taro Urajima, and a party was given in his honor. He had never experienced such a grand banquet and such great hospitality. Ehime invited Taro to stay at the Dragon Palace for as long as he wanted. It was all like a dream. The beautiful princess served, Taro ate and drank, and soon lost track of time.

One day, Ehime took Taro to a room in the palace with four large windows. She opened the first window and was greeted by a spring scene of birds and flowers and birdsong. Taro marveled at its beauty. Eji opened the second window and was greeted with a summer scene. The sound of cicadas was heard and the breeze brushed Taro's face. Next, Ehime opens the third window and sees an autumn scene. Taro marveled at the colorful leaves on the trees. Ehime finally opened the fourth window. Taro gazed out at the cold, snowy landscape. It looked just like his fishing village and there was a feeling of homesickness. He thought of his mother, whom he had left behind, and how worried she must have been about him. Taro turns to Ehime and thanks her for her hospitality. He then tells her she must return to his home. Ehime pleads with him to stay, but Taro refuses to change his mind.

When Ehime realizes that she can't convince Taro to stay, she softens her attitude. She gives him a small box as a memento of his time at the Dragon Palace and hopes that one day they will meet again. But she warns him never to open the box. Taro accepts the box thankfully, then rides home on the back of a giant turtle.

When Taro returned to the village, something seemed wrong. Everything looked different. He didn't know anyone, and no one knew him. He asked a villager if he knew the way to Taro Urajima's house. The villager replied a fisherman by that name had gone to sea and never returned. But that was over three hundred years ago. His family was long dead by now.

Taro fell to his knees. Everything and everyone he knew was gone. The only thing left behind was the box Ehime had given him. In desperation, he forgot her warning and opened the lid. A plume of smoke rose from the box and engulfed Taro. When the smoke cleared, his beard had grown long, his hair was gray, and his skin was wrinkled. In the blink of an eye, he had become an old man, for the box contained the years Taro Urashima had spent at the bottom of the sea.