Hear this tale on Episode 77 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

Longevity

Longevity (Chosei Furo – 長生不老) is one of many Japanese folktales, this one centered around a man known as Sentarō.

Synopsis

This tale has also been given the name of The Man who did not wish to die and goes as follow.

There was a man called Sentarō and he was a rich man. When he turned 32 he thought about death and began to fear it and sickness.

He wished to be at least 500 or 600 hundred years old and thought about the Chinese Emperor Shin-no-Shiko (who built the Great Wall) who also did not wish to die and so he wanted to find the Elixir of Life. The Emperor sent his retainer Jofuku to Horaizan to get the Elixir but he never returned. Since then Mount Fuji is said to have been Mount Horaizan, the Elixir’s secret held by the hermits there.

Sentarō goes to Fuji to find the hermits. He can’t find them, even after asking the help of a hunter so he prays at Jofuku’s shrine for seven days and nights. At midnight on the seventh night Jofuku appears. Jofuku says it would be hard for him to be a hermit as he lives a rich life, so he offers to send him to the Land of Perpetual Life.

He gives him a small paper crane which unfolds and grow big enough for Sentarō to ride on, and it take him to the place he could live forever. After arriving at the island he became a resident and was given his own home. In this place many priests told stories, saying people could only reach a place called Paradise through death and Sentarō quickly found out that most of those that lived here really wished for death. People would buy poisons in the hopes of dying but they never worked. People took medicine to try and have their hair turn grey, or get sick. But nothing worked.

After 300 years Sentaro had grown bored and wanted to return to Japan and the paper crane he had forgotten about fell out of his pocket. He boarded the crane again and started his journey back to Japan but almost immediately regretted his decision. He tried to get the crane to turn around but he failed.

Eventually a storm comes around, he is thrown into the ocean where a shark appears. The shark comes closer and Sentarō fearing death asks for Jofuku to come rescue him.

Sentaro then awakens to find himself still at the shrine he had been praying at. A messanger from Jofuku appears saying Sentarō had been given the chance to see the land of Eternal Life but he had grown weary and asked for death. And when death came for him as a shark he begged to live. His desire for death was not earnest and he could never live as a hermit.

Given a book by the messanger he returns home and follows the teachings in the book. Due to this he lived a good life and his house prospered.¹

Footnotes

1. Ozaki, Y.T. (2015) “Japanese Fairy Tales” USA: Cavalier Classics.

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Tokoyo

Tokoyo (常世の国 – Everworld) is a mythological land mentioned in the kojiki. The area is said to have cockerals which were gathered by Omoikane as one of the various ways to try and coax Amaterasu out of the Heavenly Rock Cave after she hides inside of it.

This mythical paradise is said to also be full of Immortals and be covered in golden orange orchards. It is said to be located ‘across the sea.’¹

We see Tokoyo mentioned as well in the nihongi as the place the kami Sukunabikona departs to after helping Ōkuninushi.²

During the reign of Emperor Suinin, Tajima Mori was sent here to collect a Tachibana from here.¹²

It may be possible that this place is also seen in the folktale Longevity.³

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
3. Ozaki, Y.T. (2015) “Japanese Fairy Tales” USA: Cavalier Classics.

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Here follows a list of Japanese Folktales (昔話) currently on our website. There will be more over time, so please bear with us for the time being.

Festivals

• Ōtoshi no Kyaku. The New Years Eve Visitor. A collection of tales around mysterious New Years visitors who will give great gifts.

Grateful Creature Motif

• The Bewitched Tea-Kettle (分福茶釜 or 文福茶釜) A grateful Tanuki performs for the man who saved him, making him very wealthy.
• My Lord Bag of Rice (俵藤太) The story or Fujiwara Hidesato and the killing of the Giant Centipede Seta at the behest of The Dragon King.
• The Tongue Cut Sparrow (舌切り雀) The story of an old man and his cruel wife who cuts the tongue out of a Sparrow as she grows jealous of how her husband feels about the bird.
• Urashima Taro the Fisher Lad (浦島 太郎) The story of Urashima Tarō who saves a turtle and marries the Daughter of the The Dragon King.

Hero/Heroine Motif

• The Clever Boar and Monkey. An old monkey who was going to be killed saves his life by saving a kidnapped baby.
• Momotarō. Folktale about a man with the same name, as well as a Dog, Monkey and Pheasant and their journey to the island of Onigashima to stop the Oni.
• Princess Glory. A lonely old couple find a baby in a Bamboo Grove and raise her. She later is revealed as The Immortal Lady of Mount Fuji.

Longlife

• Longevity. Story of an old man who wished to live forever.

Mourning

• The Mirror of Matsuyama. A girl missing her mum, thinks she can find her by looking in a mirror.

Punishment Motif

• Kachi-Kachi Yama (かちかち山) Also known as The Farmer and the Badger. The story of a Rabbit seeking revenge on a Badger for killing an old woman.
• The Monkey and the Crab. The son of a crab who was killed by his apparent friend the Monkey gets revenge on his fathers murderer.

Sacrifice Motif

• Shippeitaro – Story of the Dog Shippeitaro and the Warrior who save a maiden from being sacrificed.

Unfinished Business Motif

• Banchō Sarayashiki – Okiku is killed after breaking one of ten heirloom plates, and thrown down a well. Her ghost returns each night trying to count and find the tenth plate she broke.

Yōkai Motif

• Hagoromo (羽衣) Story of a celestial nymph who is forced to marry a fisherman.
• How an Old Man Lost is Wen – Story of a man who dances for some Oni and tricks them into taking the wen growing on his face.
• Rashōmon no oni. Story of an Oni  who is fought by Watanabe no Tsuna.
• The Melon Princess (瓜子姫) Story of a childless couple, who find a melon floating down river. Upon cutting it open a baby girl is found inside.
• The Nightingale’s Coin. A man is gifted with a ‘never ending’ coin after looking after a woman house for one year, without open a ‘forbidden door.’ Later, another man comes hoping for the same reward, but opens this forbidden door.
• The Oni of Adachigahara. A monk seeks shelter in an old womans home only to find out she is an Oni.
• Shōjōji no Tanuki Bayashi. The story of a group of Tanuki and their wild drum parties.

Tales of China

• The Elixir of Life. Story of a Chinese Emperor who believes the Elixir of Life is on Mount Fuji.
• The Shinansha. The story of Emperor Kotei killing the rebel Shiyu after inventing The Shinansha (Artefact).
• The Stone of the Five Colours and the Empress Jokwa. Empress Jokwa saves her country.

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