鬼桃太郎The Demon Momotaro

What you'll learn

The chapter begins with the history of Onigashima's shame after Momotaro's victory. The oni king seeks a champion to defeat Momotaro, and a former gatekeeper and his wife, after a long exile, use a magical prayer to birth Kurumomotaro from a bitter peach. Kurumomotaro is granted an iron staff by the king and sets out with a dragon, a baboon, and a wolf, but the journey goes awry when the dragon's navigation fails, leading to the companions' deaths and Kurumomotaro's fall into the sea.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～なり（断定） N1Classical copula 'da' or 'de aru', often used in literary texts to mean 'is'.
  鬼ヶ島の城門の衛司にてありけるが
• ～けり（過去・詠嘆） N1Classical auxiliary indicating past tense or exclamation, often used in narrative to provide a literary tone.
  いずれも桃太郎が技掚に懲り、我はと名乗出づるものもあらざりけり
• ～ずんば N1Classical conditional negative, meaning 'if not ~', equivalent to '～なければ'.
  この遺恨霽さばやと
• ～たる（連体形） N1Classical attributive form of 'tari' (to be), used to modify nouns, often meaning 'being ~'.
  武勇勝れたる鬼のあれかし
• ～かし（願望・念押し） N1Classical sentence-ending particle expressing wish or strong desire, equivalent to '～たいものだ' or '～てほしい'.
  武勇勝れたる鬼のあれかし

Cultural notes

• Momotaro FolktaleMomotaro (桃太郎) is a famous Japanese folktale about a boy born from a peach who goes to Onigashima (Demon Island) with animal friends (monkey, pheasant, dog) to defeat demons and bring back treasure. This story is a dark parody where the oni are the protagonists and seek revenge.
• Oni (Demons) in Japanese CultureOni are mythical creatures often depicted as ogres or demons with horns, wild hair, and fierce expressions. They live in Onigashima and are typically antagonists in folklore. This story reimagines them as sympathetic figures.
• Classical Japanese Literary StyleThe text is written in a classical style (bungotai) used in pre-modern Japanese literature. It features archaic grammar, vocabulary, and syntax, making it challenging even for advanced modern learners. It resembles the style of works like 'The Tale of the Heike' or 'Konjaku Monogatari'.

Try a comprehension question

Read a sample in Japanese

Topics

Short Storyfolklorevengeancehonormelancholyphilosophicalaozora bunko