A whale turns into a rock. A man wants to learn to fly, but runs into resistance from the Japanese government.
A child appears from inside a stalk of bamboo. A village makes a kite with the face of an oni.
A wife unwittingly offends a powerful catfish god. Inou Tadataka becomes the first man to make a map of Japan.
A boy throws a rock at a baby kappa, and its father puts a powerful curse on him. The lake moss of the Ainu come to be referred as the heart of the forest.
A hunter outwits a giant ogre called an oni. Two sons find a statue of one of the buddhas while trying to catch fish for their sick mother.
A brother and sister escape from enslavement. Stories are told of Kicchomu, who is famous for his cleverness.
An old woman sacrifices herself to bring prosperity to a starving village. A demon god repairs a destroyed temple.
A girl falls in love with the spirit of a pine tree. A frail lord is tempted into eating more by the power of mustard and lotus root.
A man named Chikaraishi battles Kappa for sumo supremacy. The great buddha of Nara is built over a period of decades.
An ogre possesses a golden ladle. A young boy's beloved horse is brutally treated by a rich man.
A man gains the ability to see others for the animals they really are. A demon roof tile brings misfortune.
A peasant hears about Japanese poetry and decides to try some for himself. A monk whittles 100,000 statues of buddha.
A ghost makes a man strong. Good miso is found only a short distance away.
A snake made of straw comes to life. Uesugi Youzan makes things happen.
A greedy man wants to cheat customers out of tofu. A lowly merchant grows to great riches.
A girl sacrifices herself to save her master's daughter. Sen Rikyuu creates a new style of tea.
Tanuki plow a field for a kind man. Bunzaemon becomes rich selling oranges.
A man gets a bathtub stuck to his butt by an angry god. A warrior challenges the ghosts of Himeji castle.
An oni gives a girl great power. A cat of repays the kindness of its owners.
A man wants to be a Sennin but fails, so he becomes a salesman instead. Kobayashi Issa, the haiku poet, thinks of the sun, the moon, and his soba.
A man falls in love with a carp he catches in a lake. A lord learns the ways of herbs.
A lazy man becomes rich with the help of a god. A raccoon gathers donations for a temple.
A priest statue gives warnings in dreams. A master dollmaker makes a doll from unique materials.
A ninja learns secret techniques. New methods for pottery are divised.
A priest statue spits out yummy rice. A dog goes to Ise.
A woman uses sesame seed buns to turn people into cows. The hot springs at dogo are discovered.
A boy becomes high priest after a lowly upbringing. A girl becomes the first woman to stand on Mt. Fuji.
A man marries a frog wife. A merchant from Edo teaches people a valuable lesson about quality goods.
A ship of ghosts tries to drag the living to the bottom of the ocean. Raccoons fight a war in Awa.
A hard-working potter learns the secrets of lacquerware. In Shirataki, the wife is the boss.
A man becomes a doctor after his eyeball falls out. In Aizu, the Byakkotai dies at the end of a war.
A priest becomes friends with an old raccoon. A beautiful woman called Otane meets a sad fate.
A man wants to be a black kite. A sinister creature haunts a tree on a island.
A man wants to be poor. A lord forbids his people from luxuries.
Yajiemon fights a giant bear. A man designs the gate for a temple after badly injuring his left hand.
A god rides on a cucumber. A lord becomes rich using his abacus to keep expenses down.
A wife farts so hard that she blows down trees. A chef in Okinawa competes for the best dish.
A mountain granny brings prosperity in exchange for delicious mochi. Horrible creatures called Namahage strike a town in Akita.
A man becomes invisible and feels very alone. A river otter is tricked by dastardly shrimp.
Three grains of rice become three grains of gold. A man named Jirochou is an inpsiration to everyone.
A samurai breaks a teacup owned by a poor man. Pack runners carry salmon along a mountain path.
A mountain grannie repays those who are kind to her. A child prodigy is banished far from the capital.
A man bags the wind. An ancient legend about Tanabata is still told to this day.
A raccoon disguises itself as a mountain monk. A woman is sacrificed to make a bridge sturdy.
A giant called Yagorou-dono lived long ago. A god drives away insects from crops.
A boy called Ishidoumaru searches for his father. A lord battles a monster in his keep.
A horse from a painting comes alive. A recipe is made for cold soup.
A greedy priest is sent to hell. A great man named Mito Mitsukuni is very hungry.
A cherry tree blooms on the night of the full moon. A bridge-maker makes a bride over a steep canyon.
A goddess lives on the northern mountain. Kiyohime becomes a snake and attacks the one she loves. Final episode
Folktales from Japan
tv
