Is there a reason they're so small? From Issunboshi to Kaguyahime... Tiny Protagonists of Folktales
//Summary - Level-B2//
Many Japanese folktales feature tiny protagonists like Issunboshi, Momotaro, and Princess Kaguya. Though small at birth—some just 3 cm—they often possess great courage, kindness, or wisdom. These characters are usually gifted to elderly couples who long for children, symbolising hope and divine blessing. Despite their size, they grow, succeed, and repay love with brave deeds. Their smallness reflects nature’s miracles, like fruit growing from tiny seeds. These tales teach that even those who seem weak or different can become heroes and inspire both children and adults through their unique journeys.
1)
Folktales are fascinating. Their eccentric protagonists, who could never exist in reality, lead to unpredictable plot twists. Take Issunboshi, Momotaro and Kaguyahime, for example.
They're all so unique — but why? Japanese folktales seem to feature a lot of tiny protagonists. Despite their small size, they outperform adults. Despite their size, they're still big shots.
Why were they born so small? We delved into the mystery of Japan's diminutive heroes.
2)
Tales of the Little Ones:
Japanese folktales are filled with stories featuring tiny protagonists. Let's start by introducing some of the most famous ones. As we read about their adventures, remember their small stature.
3)
Issunboshi:
The most famous tiny protagonist in Japan is undoubtedly Issunboshi. His small size is evident from the outset of the story. After all, as his name suggests, Issunboshi is only one sun (about 3 cm) tall.
4)
Raised by an elderly childless couple, Issunboshi was a clever and dutiful son, but he never grew up. However, he never became cynical or associated with bad people. Instead, he set off for the capital, declaring, 'I want to see the wider world. I'll return as a great person.'
Tucking a sewing needle into his belt, he took a bowl and chopsticks and set off down the river. Eventually, he was hired as a servant to the princess of the most prestigious mansion in the capital.
5)
Perhaps it was his encounter with the princess that made Issunboshi braver. One day, he found himself forced to fight an ogre.
This happened on the way back from a visit to a temple with the princess. The ogre suddenly appeared, and Issunboshi bravely drew his sword and confronted it. However, because he was so small, he was swallowed in one bite. But he didn't give up. He used his small size to his advantage, rampaging through the ogre's stomach.
6)
The story then took a dramatic turn. When the ogre swung the magic mallet that he had left behind, Issun-boshi's body grew and grew, transforming into an adult. He married the princess. He even brought his parents back to the capital to show his filial piety.
7)
Momotaro:
It doesn't make sense for a child to be born from a peach. That's the logic of stubborn adults. A child would accept the story of a giant peach floating down the river and be genuinely amazed at its arrival.
8)
Momotaro was wholly immersed in the peach that had floated down the river and had a premonition that he would achieve something incredible from the moment of his birth.
Raised by an elderly couple, he lived a peaceful life. One day, he heard that evil demons were causing trouble on Onigashima (Demon Island). He decides to go and defeat them.
En route, he acquires three servants — a dog, a monkey and a pheasant — in exchange for millet dumplings. Together, they set off for Onigashima. They successfully defeat the demons and return home with the treasure.
9)
Princess Kaguya:
The beautiful and petite heroine of this folktale is Princess Kaguya. Written at the start of the Heian period, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a charming tale that begins with the words 'Once upon a time'.
10)
Once upon a time, there was an older man known as the Bamboo Cutter. One spring day, he found a little girl nestled among the glowing bamboo. He named her Princess Kaguya and raised her with great care.
Princess Kaguya quickly grew into a wonderful woman. News of her beauty spread far and wide, and many noblemen came to propose marriage to her. However, she presented each of them with insurmountable challenges and refused to marry anyone. She even rejected the Emperor's proposal. Eventually, a lunar messenger came for Kaguya-hime and took her back to the moon.
11)
Japan's Oldest Tiny Protagonist:
Other small figures in Japan have achieved remarkable feats. One such person is Japan's oldest tiny god, Sukunahikona no Mikoto.
12)
Sukunahikona no Mikoto is said to have slipped through the fingers of Kamimusubi no Mikoto in Takamagahara (the Plain of Heaven), crossed the sea and arrived in Izumo.
Despite his small stature, he is said to have travelled the country with Okuninushi no Mikoto, helping to build it. Furthermore, thanks to his abundant wisdom and skills, he saved people from illness and suffering. He is also said to have given the first prescription for medicine. What a remarkable god!
13)
The 'Sukuna' in his name is said to mean 'small in stature'. Heartwarming stories tell of him biting the cheek of Okuninushi no Mikoto without seeing him (because he was so small) when they first met, or picking him up and holding him in the palm of his hand.
14)
Small but mighty:
But why are the protagonists of folk tales so small? Is there a reason they were born so small?
15)
Small protagonists often appear in stories as extraordinary children, rather than ordinary ones. They might be only three centimetres tall, like Issun-boshi; be born from a peach, like Momotaro; or be born from shining bamboo, like Kaguya-hime.
Even their births are unusual.
At first, they seem small and frail, but then they undergo astonishing growth. Sometimes they grow quickly, sometimes they stay small, and sometimes they become stunningly beautiful.
16)
In hindsight, the lives of the Bamboo Cutter and Princess Kaguya were all too short. It seems as though her refusal to marry was driven by her desire to spend as much time as possible with the grandparents who had raised her.
After all, she was a girl found inside a bamboo stalk. She must have looked so small and frail. It's easy to imagine how doting the older man and his wife must have been, gently cradling the girl in the palm of their hands as if she were a small bird and taking her home.
17)
Interestingly, once Momotaro and Princess Kaguya had grown up, their former size was forgotten, and nobody considered it. Only the reader remembers their astonishingly small size. Even the characters themselves are oblivious to this.
18)
There's a reason they're so small.
Most of the time, they come to elderly couples who are unable to have children. Their special status comes from the fact that they desperately wanted children and prayed to the gods. All of the children are born out of desire and are in the hands of the gods.
The newborn child and the elderly couple who are close to death are opposites. If we were to point out a commonality between them, we could say that they are both beings who are closest to God.
19)
It is also important to note that the young protagonists enter this world via natural vessels such as peaches and bamboo.
Their astonishing growth in such a short period evokes images of fruit-laden trees. Perhaps these folktales emerged from amazement at such plant growth and a cherished respect for this form of life.
20)
Conclusion:
The protagonists of fairy tales resemble humans, but their upbringing is different. Rather than lamenting their children for being 'strange' or 'different', an elderly couple raised them as if they were their own.
Perhaps to repay their kindness, the little protagonists carve out their paths, achieve success and repay the elderly couple's love until the end.
21)
To adults, their small size often seems illogical. However, fairy tales featuring these little protagonists seem to symbolically illustrate that the lives children encounter as adults are not always pretty. Both older and younger readers can learn a lot from these little protagonists.
Is there a reason they're so small? From Issunboshi to Kaguyahime... Tiny Protagonists of Folktales
https://intojapanwaraku.com/culture/280660/
