Early 20th Century A.D.
Urashima Tarō (浦島太郎) is the protagonist of a Japanese fairy tale. The fairy tale originates from the legend of Urashimako (浦嶋子), and the story is found in literature as early as the 8th century. From the Muromachi to Edo period, the story of Urashima Tarō evolved. Over the years, different versions of the texts vary considerably, and in some versions of the tale, Urashima Tarō is transformed into a crane at the end of the story. Many of the elements in the modern version of the tale are relatively recent creations. For example, the portrayal of Urashima Tarō riding a turtle only dates back to the early 18th century, and while in the modern version he is carried underwater to the Dragon Palace, in the older versions, Urashima Tarō rides a boat to the princess’s world called Hōrai.
In the popular, modern version of the fairy tale, Urashima Tarō is a fisherman who rescues a turtle and releases the turtle back to sea. The next day, a huge turtle appears to Urashima Tarō, and the turtle tells him that the small turtle he saved was the daughter of the Emperor of the Sea, who wants to see Urashima Tarō in order to thank him. The turtle takes Urashima Tarō to the bottom of the sea to the Dragon Palace. At the palace, Urashima Tarō meets the Emperor and the small turtle, who has turned into a princess. Urashima Tarō stays at the palace with the princess for what he believes is several days, and asks to princess for permission to return to his village to see his aging mother. The princess is sad to see Urashima Tarō go, but wishes him well and gives him a mysterious box that she said would protect him from harm; however, the princess warns Urashima Tarō never to open the box. Upon his return home to the village, his mother has vanished and Urashima Tarō discovers that he has been gone for at least 100 years. Urashima Tarō then decides to open the mysterious box the princess gave him, but as soon as he opens the box, Urashima Tarō turns into an old man and hears the voice of the princess saying, “I told you not to open that box, in it was your old age…”.
