Today on Folktales for Procrastinators, I will tell you the story of Momotaro (桃太郎),
or Peach Boy.
This is a very well-known story.
And afterwards we’ll discover how this cute children’s story was used as World War II
propaganda.
There was an old couple who really wanted children but the gods had ignored their prayers.
One day, the old lady was washing clothes in a washing machine called a river when she
noticed a butt floating down the stream.
When it got closer, she realized that it wasn’t a butt, it was this gigantic peach.
It’s weird for a peach to be that big, she thought.
Do gigantic peaches taste sweet?
Will she get to the bottom of this question?
You bet your ass she will.
And so she cracked her fingers, ready to bring this mystery to an ample end.
The old woman eagerly snatched that peach up and brought it home to her husband.
“This is a huge peach!” She said.
“Uh huh.” Her husband said.
When they cut the peach open, to their surprise, that’s right they found a sweet little baby
boy.
Why did the peach have a baby?
It had an encounter with an eggplant.
The old couple was ecstatic and thanked the gods for granting them a child after all.
They named him Momotaro, or Peach Boy, condemning him to a childhood of verbal bullying.
But maybe the rough childhood did some good because he grew up to be freakishly strong.
Momotaro was very grateful that his parents took him in and wanted to repay their kindness.
It just so happened that there was an island that people called Oni-ga-shima (鬼ヶ島),
Demon Island, home to demons who did wicked things like kidnapping, murder, and opening
nachos bags in the middle of a movie.
Empty the bag before the movie!
Momotaro dreamt that he would be the one to go to the island to subdue the demons and
save the people of Folktale Japan from their scourge.
He trained day and night with a sword and one morning declared to his parents,
"I have heard of the wicked monsters on Demon Island,
and I will go there and vanquish them!
But first please make me some dumplings for the trip.”
His parents were horrified, but Momotaro reasoned that the gods had brought him to this world
from a peach, he was destined for something great.
His mom reluctantly agreed and his dad said “Uh huh,” and so they allowed him to go
on his adventure where he could get hurt and die.
But he had to finish his homework first.
They were Asian parents after all.
They packed him a box of dumplings, said tearful goodbyes, and Momotaro embarked on his quest.
“Don’t forget to wear your sweater,” his mom called out.
“I’m not a kid, mom!” said the kid.
Momotaro marched with peachy confidence towards Demon Island.
On the way, he met a dog.
The dog said,
“Momotaro, Momotaro, where are you going?”
Yes, it was a dog, speaking to him.
Momotaro was surprised, how does a dog… know his name?
Very weird.
“I am going to Demon Island to conquer the demons there,” Momotaro said.
“What is that you have by your side?” The dog asked.
“These are the best dumplings in Japan.”
“I will join your quest if you give me a dumpling.”
Momotaro thought about it, and gave the dog a dumpling.
After eating the best dumplings in Japan, the dog followed him on his quest.
As they walked, they met a monkey.
The monkey said,
“Momotaro, Momotaro, where are you going?”
“I am going to Demon Island to conquer the demons there,” Momotaro said.
“What is that you have by your side?”
“These are the best dumplings in Japan.”
“I will join your quest if you give me a dumpling.”
Momotaro gave the monkey a dumpling, and the monkey followed him.
As they walked, they met a pheasant.
Same deal.
The Fellowship of the Peach reached the coast and they could see Demon Island in the distance.
A boat bobbed in the waters far away.
They needed it to cross, so the dog swam over with monkey on his back, and the pheasant
flew over.
And they all brought the boat back.
Dog pulled the rope, monkey paddled, and pheasant be useless.
On Demon Island, the iron gate to the demon palace was closed, but that didn’t stop
them.
The pheasant flew up for reconnaissance.
The monkey climbed the wall, got inside, and opened the gate.
Momotaro unsheathed his sword, the dog unsheathed his teeth, and they charged.
The surprised demons were ugly and had a language that no one could understand.
Everyone fought bravely, but then Momotaro saw the biggest demon he had ever seen.
Granted he had never seen demons before this.
It was the demon leader.
Momotaro attacked the leader, using all of his monstrous might.
It was a fierce battle, but Momotaro defeated the demon boss.
Afterwards, the demons bowed in submission and begged Momotaro to spare their lives.
They would never commit crimes against humans again.
Momotaro gave them mercy, and in turn they gave him treasures.
He marched home with his animal friends and a wagon full of treasure.
The dog pulled the wagon, the monkey pushed, and the pheasant be useless.
Momotaro’s parents were overjoyed, and now rich.
Alright so this was a straightforward, warm and fuzzy tale of a child hero.
It’s hard to find a Japanese person who doesn’t know of this tale.
But did you know that the story was used for wartime propaganda?
The earliest written version of Momotaro appeared in the Edo Period, but it was in the Meiji
Period that the story was put into school textbooks.
It was a time when the Japanese empire went about being bloody irritating to everyone
around them.
The story was used as part of wartime education to instill patriotism in the youth.
During World War II, Momotaro became an iconic figure in wartime movies.
It wasn’t subtle, the symbolism.
Momotaro was the Japanese government.
The animal companions were Japanese citizens.
The demons were the United States.
And many people saw Demon Island as Pearl Harbor or Hawaii.
The message was that Japan could defeat the strong and evil United States, if citizens
supported the effort.
And Momotaro’s treasures represented the riches that Japan would gain after the victory.
You can actually find in Japan’s history a pattern of stories with similar events.
For example, Japan’s earliest texts wrote of Yamato Takeru, a mythical figure who was
super strong at a young age and went to the frontier to subjugate barbarian tribes.
Minamoto no Tametomo lived in the late Heian Period.
Legend has it that he went to a Demon Island, where the people looked horrifying and spoke
an incomprehensible language, and he subjugated them.
Which island it was differed depending on the version of the story.
It could have been the Izu Islands or Okinawa.
The point of using the Momotaro story in textbooks and propaganda films was to tie wartime patriotism
with the myths and legends of the past.
It was Japan’s destiny to subjugate the demons, and the wars continued that old tradition.
But you know what, there’s nothing wrong with ignoring all of that and just enjoying
the story for what it is, a cozy tale about a kid who worked hard to achieve his dream,
doppleganger, Elisa J Parent, and Kat.
Much love, you guys, and spread the knowledge!