The SPECTACULAR Tale of Hanasaka Jiisan - Japanese Mythology

On a remote mountainous island in Japan, many years ago, an elderly couple lived and farmed their land painstakingly to survive. They had no children, but they had one loyal partner, a snow-white little dog named Shiro. The couple poured all their love and affection into the beloved canine companion. Shiro faithfully followed its owners every day to do their But one day, the dog started barking furiously. It ran up to its master, clutched with his clothes, and pulled him firmly in the direction of a specific spot. Following the animal's instinct, the old man picked up his shovel and started digging alongside the dog. Much to their surprise, they found large nuggets of gold while digging. Filled with joy, they returned home to share their findings. Renowned for their generosity, the couple decided to share their newfound wealth with the whole village, bringing prosperity and happiness to everyone. But there were a couple of mean and greedy neighbors who resented the kind couple. They had heard about the gold strike. They quickly knocked on the old people's door. They asked permission to take Shiro away for just one day, hoping to find more gold. In their usual generosity, the old man and his wife agreed to let Shiro go with them. As they moved away from the house, the spiteful man tied the dog up, took his shovel, and forced him to look for gold. After much abuse, Shiro stopped near a tree and started to shake. Assuming that the dog had found gold, the man pushed it away and started digging. After considerable effort, he only found common stones. In a rage, the man grabbed his shovel and hit Shiro, killing him. He then returned home without telling anyone. The kind old men were anxiously awaiting Shiro's return. They decided to visit their neighbors to find out what had happened. Surprisingly, when they got there, the evil man admitted his terrible deed and the old people were devastated. The good old man, profoundly grief-stricken, went to the spot where his faithful partner had been killed, took him in his arms, and carried him back home, where he buried him with respect and sadness. The good couple mourned over Shiro's grave every day. A small plant sprouted from the spot where he had been buried. The next day, the sprout grew into a strong, majestic tree. It grew bigger and bigger over time, until its branches spread beyond the horizon. But one day, during a violent storm, the tree was cut down. Keen to honor Shiro's memory, they agreed to use the tree's wood to build a pestle. This was to be to prepare mochi, a rice dumpling that Shiro loved so much. Once the pestle was completed, they started preparing the dumpling dough. When the man started beating the dough, he noticed an extraordinary thing. It started to turn into gold. As he kept whipping, more and more gold emerged from the dough. The couple again decided to share this unexpected wealth with the whole village. And yet again, the greedy neighbors took it upon themselves to grab a share of the profits and asked to use the pestle. Once more, the good old folks allowed them to enjoy their goods. When they started using the pestle, the dough turned into a dark sludge. The greedy men, out of anger, destroyed the pestle and set fire to it. When the good old man came and realized what had happened, he scooped up the remaining ashes and put them in a basket and took it home. When he arrived home, a light wind blew some of the ashes from the basket, which scattered through the air and landed on a dead tree. In an instant, it started to blossom, its branches bursting with beautiful cherry blossoms. As the ashes spread, several trees bloomed. The news quickly got around and the imperial court called the old man to the capital city. Upon arriving at the castle, he threw the ashes into the air and the nearby trees immediately blossomed. The feudal lord was fascinated by the scene and presented the old man with precious objects. He also proposed him to be called Hanasakajiji, the old man who made trees blossom. When he heard this news, the greedy neighbor collected the remaining ashes of the burnt pestle. He then went to the capital, purporting to be their true bearer. When he appeared before the feudal lord, he threw ashes into the air, but nothing bloomed. Nevertheless, the ashes got into the feudal lord's eyes and mouth, choking him and leaving him blind. The greedy neighbor was promptly ordered to be arrested. The good lord, meanwhile, decided to share everything he had with his village. Even after that, there was enough left for him, his wife, and his community to live in peace and happiness for the rest of their lives.