Author Archives: Ryusuke Kondo

Legend of Momotaro

Nationality: America
Age: 75
Residence: Little Tokyo
Performance Date: April 2012
Primary Language: Japanese
Language: English

Once upon a time, there was an old couple living in a very country side of Japan. One day, Oji-san (means an old guys in Japanese) went to mountains to cut trees, and Oba-san (means an old woman in Japanese) went to river to wash their clothing.  While she was washing clothes, she saw a big peach floating in the river. Oba-san has never seen such a huge peach in her life. Oba-san and oji-san were very poor, so she decided to take a peach to the house. (Pause, Fumi tries to remember the next sentence) Later that day, Oji-san comes home and they decided to eat the peach together. He brought cutting knife and when he cut the peach, there was a baby inside of the peach. As soon as they saw a baby, a baby started crying loud, the old couple had never had a child, therefore they decided to take care of him. Oji-san and oba-san were very happy about that they had baby and named him Momo-taro because he was born from momo (means Peach in Japanese).

(Pause for 3 secs)

Times pasts and Momotaro was grown up and started helping oji-san and oba-san’s job. Also there were no young people in the village, Momotaro went to other houses to help older people. The he became a very brave and trusted young man.

(Pause for 5 secs)

One day, oji-san and oba-san heard the rumor that Oni (an evil monster) frequently comes to the village and take everyone’s possession. Two are scared of Oni and talk to Momotaro what they should do. Momotaro bravely replied to them, saying “I will beat them and take everyone’s possession back” Momotaro started packing and decided to go to Oni-gashima where oni is. (Oni-gashima means evil monster island)

On the day of departure, oba-san gave Momotaro three rice cakes so that he won’t be hungry on the way to Onigashima. Momotaro thanked them that they looked after him and left his home. While they were seeing their son leaving, there were tears coming down on their eyes.

As Momotaro travels, a dog comes to him and asks him “Would you give me your rice cake? If you give me one, I will go with you to defeat Oni” A kind Momotaro gave his rice cake to the dog, and they travel to Oni-gashima.

As Momotaro and the dog walk, a monkey comes to him and said “hey if you give me your rice cake, I can help you to defeat Oni” He gave the monkey a rice cake and the monkey becomes  Momotaro’s  servant.

Momotaro, the dog, and monkey were travelling to Oni-gashima, and a Japanese pheasant flies to him and ask him for a rice cake. Momotaro gave the last one to the Japanese peasant, and four of them went to Oni-gashima together. As they arrived at Oni-gashima, they conquered all Oni monsters on the island and took back people’s possession to the village. Village people gave him rewards for defeating Oni and Momotaro, Oji-san, and Oba-san lived happily ever after.

A story is Momotaro is the most common folklore in Japan. Almost every Japanese have been told this folklore when they were young. Momotaro is a role model of all Japanese children who should be like when they grow up. Through this story, children in Japan learns to be kind to elders, and animal as well as to be brave when they face problems. It is unknown Momotaro is born from the peach but in Japanese folklore there is another story called “Kaguya Hime” that a girl is born from bamboo when an old couple cuts it. But both peach and bamboo are local plants in japan.

Annotation of this story: http://www.amazon.com/Momotaro-George-Suyeoka/dp/089610009X

Setsubun (Talisman Festival)

Nationality: America
Age: 65
Occupation: Social Worker
Residence: Gardena, California
Performance Date: April 2012
Primary Language: English
Language: Japanese

Every year on February 4th in Japan, people have to throw roasted bean to inside of house and outside of house. There is usually someone pretending as a Oni (evil monster)outside and people have to throw beans to Oni in order to prevent him to come in the house. While throwing beans at Oni, they have to say, “Oni ha soto, Fuku wa uchi”(it means go demons outside, and bring luck in the house instead) After Oni escaping from their house, family members have to eat beans same amount as their age in order to attain good health throughout the year.

 

According to an informant, it is believed that the evil monster, Oni comes to the village. In order to keep Oni out of the village people throw beans at Oni. Also roasted beans are believed to have a power to absorb evil power. This is why the beans are chosen to be thrown.  Also the reason why they do such a ritual in February 4th may be a prayer to hope the seeds will grown successfully grow in the future. Roasted beans may represent as seeds which will be planted in spring.

Kokkuri San (Japanese Necromancy)

Nationality: japan
Age: 20
Occupation: student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 2012
Primary Language: Japanese

Kokkuri-san is Japanese necromancy widely played by Japanese girls at primary schools. In order to play this necromancy, players need to prepare pieces of papers saying, “Yes”, “No”, “Boy”, “Girl”, and also a table of Japanese syllabary.  A coin is placed on pieces of papers and index finger of all players are placed on the coin before start. When they start, they need invite Kokkuri-san (a ghost of fox)  by saying “Kokkuri-san, kokkuri-san, please come down”. Then the coin with fingers placed on starts moving without players’ will. Players are able to ask any questions that they want to know, such as who likes whom, and player’s future.  After kokkuri-san answering all questions, players need to thank him. To prevent haunting by Kokkuri-san, players need to tear up papers used for the necromancy and have to spend the coin within 48 hours.

Informant is a 20years old female college student who moved to America when she was 13. The folklore was told in the starbucks café.

 

This is like a Japanese version of table turning game. It is unsure where it came from but reasonable to think this is widely played by young girls in Japan who have many secrets that they do not want to share with adults. Instead of asking questions to adults they ask to the fox of ghost who is able to answer anything. This secret necromancy crates tight relationship between players because if they do not follow certain rules, they will be haunted by the ghost. It is interesting multiple players place fingers on one coin so that they do not know who is actually moving the coin. Also this game had a huge psychological impact on children and in the past some children commit suicide because they thought they were haunted. These actual events made kokkuri-san become more truthful.

Toad Counting

Nationality: Australia
Age: 26
Occupation: Student
Residence: Australia
Performance Date: April 2012
Primary Language: English

This is the game played by Australian people during the raining season. To play this game, two cars and people have to drive cars on the road surrounded by bushes. The rule is that two cars leave the same destination and both cars need to count the number of toads they kill until they reach to the goal.  Every time when the car run over toads, it make a pop sound, so it is easy to count. In Australia, toads are considered to be pests since they are not local animals in Australia. They eat domestic Australian insects and plants therefore Australian people don’t feel guilty about killing toads.

He is a 26 year old graduate student studying occupational therapy in Australia.

He was able to tell this story while he visited Los Angeles.

 

 

Yakuza Cutting Off Pinky Finger Ritual

Nationality: Japan
Age: 45
Occupation: Car Mechanic
Residence: Torrance, California
Performance Date: April 2012
Primary Language: Japanese

 

This is the ritual done by Japanese mafia called “Yakuza”. When one of members in a family failed to do the task ordered by his boss, he has to cut off his first knuckle joint of pinky finger in order to show his apology. If he fails to do his task again, he needs to cut 2nd knuckle joint of the pinky finger but usually he gets kicked out of family before cutting his 2nd joint. The finger has to be folded in a sheet of Japanese paper carefully and sent to the one whom he needs to apologize. The one who receives the finger usually disposes it if the finger belongs to lower class members. Sometimes, cutting fingers ritual is done to stop the fighting between two opposing families. In this case, the boss of the family who wants to stop fight needs to cut his finger off to show how serious the boss is. The boss’s finger is sent to opposed family and they need to make a decision whether to stop a war with them or not. According to one member of yakuza family, this ritual is not common anymore because there is not benefit of getting fingers. In the past, when yakuza people fight with others, they used Japanese swords. By cutting one of fingers, it made them grip the sword less tighten. Also lack of fingers humiliation in public, indicating he failed to do his task. However, fake fingers are sold, therefore it is no longer humiliation.

It is interesting they only cut pinky fingers not others. It surely lessens the power to grip the Japanese sword but could be index or thumb fingers to be cut. This may be because if other fingers are cut, it is really hard to live in a daily life. Japanese people use four fingers except the pinky finger to eat food with chopsticks. This is least Japanese  mafia’s kindness so that mafia’s rituals do not affect individual’s personal life.

Informer is a 45 year old car mechanic who used to be a member of Japanese mafia in Fukuoka prefecture in Japan. The folklore was told in one of Japanese restaurants in Gardena.