Japanese folk tales are certainly entertaining to listen to, but they provide more than just entertainment. There is always a moral to the story or an exemplary mode of behavior that Japanese children should follow.

Kintarō (金太郎) means “Golden Boy” in Japanese. Kintarō is the name of a boy with extraordinary strength. He is considered the ideal image of what a Japanese boy should be, which includes qualities like being strong, brave and masculine. The story of Kintarō was based on a real man named SakataKintoki (坂田公時), who was a legendary warrior.

Momotaro (桃太郎) can be translated as “Peach Boy” in Japanese. One day, an elderly childless couple found a giant peach. They cut the peach open to eat it, but to their surprise they found a boy inside the peach. Momotaro grew up to be a strong boy who defeated a band of ogres. He plundered the orge’s treasures and brought it to the elderly couple. From then on, the elderly couple lived with no worries. Basically Momotaro is the ideal son who takes care of his parents in their old age.

Urashima Tarō (浦島太郎) is a name of a fisherman who saved a turtle from being tortured by some children. In gratitude, the turtle gives Urashima Tarō gills to breathe underwater and gives a tour of the underwater world. The turtle magically turns into a princess and gives him a box which she tells him not to open. Urashima Tarō goes back to the shore to see his aging mother. When he discovers that she is dead, he opens the box in distress. When he opens the box, he quickly ages into an elderly man about to die. The moral of the story is, when you disobey orders you can lose everything; such as your family and your youth/life.

Taketori Monogatari (竹取物語) can be translated as “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”. One day a bamboo cutter cuts open a bamboo and finds a baby girl inside. As the girl grew, news of her beauty spread to the Emperor. The Emperor saw her face and fell in love. He asked her hand in marriage, but she refused. One day the girl cried as she looked at the moon. When the bamboo cutter asked the girl why she was crying, she replied that it was time for her to return to her people on the moon. In an effort to make her stay, the Emperor stationed several guards around the girl. It was no use, a bright light blinded the Emperor’s soldiers and the girl flew up to heaven. The moral of the story is, people of different ranks, status or backgrounds are not destined to be together (the girl is a heavenly being but the Emperor, while powerful, is still a mere human being).