Top 10 Japanese Mythology Stories

Japanese has a rich culture with tons of folktales.  All stories from ancient Japan have lofty moral lessons for everyone. You can read the top 10 Japanese Mythology stories in this article and find your favorite one.

1-Momotaro (One of the Best Japanese Mythology Stories)

Momotarō is a classic Japanese Mythology story. In which a woman found a giant peach from the river. After cutting off this peach, she found a kid named Momotaro. A gang of demons attacked his village and destroyed their properties. Then Momotaro takes revenge on them. 

2-The Grateful Crane

In this story, you will learn how important it is to keep your promise. A sailmaker’s wife made a majestic sail for him and asked him not to enter the room when she was weaving it. At first, he keeps his promise. But when she made the sail a second time for him, he broke his promise and got in trouble.

3-Issun-boshi

Issun-boshi is famous as a one-inch boy in Japanese history. A couple prayed for a kid and got a kid with tiny in size. They named him Issun-boshi. When he realized that he could not get the bigger size, he travelled to find his place in the world. 

4-Kintarō

Kintarō is famous as Japanese Hercules. He battled with various demons and monsters to help others. During all this, he got many friends in the form of animals. Kintarō is a symbol of genuine kindness that is vital in Japanese Mythology.

5-Kachi-kachi Yama

A man caught a troublesome tanuki from his fields. The man tied it on a tree for killing purposes. When the mangoes for the town, tanuki bagged the man’s wife for freedom. When the wife frees this animal, it kills her. Latter, a rabbit punished tanuki for this brutal act

6-Shita-Kiri Suzume 

Shita-Kiri Suzume is a delightful and famous tale in Japanese history. A couple gets rewarded for their actions. The man got a chest of gold with a beloved sparrow while the wife got snakes.

7-Bunbuku Chagama

In this story, a poor man freed tanuki caught in a trap. Later this tanuki helped the poor man and transformed into a chagama(tea kettle). When the poor man sold the tea kettle, he found money. Further, when a monk uses this kettle, it uses its shape-shifting powers and runs away.

8-Urashima Taro

Urashima Taro is a tale where we can teach obedience over our happiness. Sea turtle rewards a sea trip to fisherman then he got a box as a gift. The princess tells him not to open it, but he disobeys her and gets punished.

9-Izanagi and Izanami

In this story, two siblings decide to give birth to children to gather. When Izanami gives birth to the god of fire, her genitals burn. She died from her wounds. Then his brother and husband kill the newborn and went to the underworld to retrieve his wife.

10-Kaguyahime

It is a tale about a mysterious girl called Kaguya-Hime. She found it from the stalk of a glowing bamboo tree.

For more mythology articles visit our blog.