Urashima Taro is one of the most famous Japanese folktales. It is a story about a man who saved a turtle and was invited to the underwater palace, where he had a good time. However, there is an urban legend that says that there is a dark side hidden behind this story. The urban legend says that Urashima Taro was actually deceived by a woman named Urako, who took revenge on him for causing the death of his mother. In this article, we will introduce the content and the truth of this urban legend.
Who is Urako?
Urako’s Revenge Plan
Urako took Urashima Taro to the underwater palace by deceiving him, but it was not to give him a good time. It was to make him suffer a big shock when he returned to the surface. Urako gave Urashima Taro a box, but it was not a normal box. It was a mysterious artifact that could manipulate time. Urako told Urashima Taro not to open it, but it was reverse psychology. She expected him to open it.
The True Identity of the Box
The box was a mysterious artifact that could manipulate time, but what was its true identity? The box was actually something that Urako stole from the underwater palace. There were various treasures in the underwater palace, but the most valuable one was the box. The box was made by the dragon god, and it had the effect of accelerating the time around it when opened. In other words, opening the box would make hundreds of years pass on the surface.
The Tragedy of Urashima Taro
Urashima Taro returned to the surface with the box that Urako gave him, but everything had changed there. All the people and things he knew were gone, and his house was ruined. He remembered his mother, but she was already dead. He was filled with grief and confusion, but he remembered Urako’s words. “Don’t open it.” He opened the box anyway. Then, white smoke came out and his body aged rapidly. He realized that hundreds of years had passed on the surface. Urako had taken revenge on him.
The Truth of the Urban Legend
Is this urban legend true? Unfortunately, this urban legend is not true. This urban legend is a fictional work that spread on the internet. Its source is a video titled “The True Story of Urashima Taro!! [Urban Legend]” that was posted on Nico Nico Douga in 2009. This video is a dark arrangement of Urashima Taro’s story, and Urako and the true identity of the box are all creations of the author. This video became popular, but later, the author himself revealed that it was fiction.
