Once upon a time, there lived a young fisherman named “浦島太郎” (Urashima Taro). One day, Urashima Taro saw children bullying a turtle at the beach, so he helped it. Then, as a token of gratitude, the turtle took Urashima Taro to a gorgeous sea castle called Ryūgūjō. Urashima Taro was appreciated by “乙姫” (Otohime), a princess who lived in the castle and was treated to a splendid dinner. Urashima Taro had so much fun that he forgot about his family and life as a fisherman on the ground and was absorbed in the luxurious life in the castle.

However, a few days had passed since he came to the castle, and Urashima Taro began to worry about the mother he had left behind on the ground, so he decided to return to his old world. Otohime sadly gives Urashima Taro a mysterious box called a tamatebako, saying, “Open it if you have any trouble.”

 

Urashima Taro returned to the village above ground with the box. However, the situation in the village changed drastically before Urashima Taro went to the castle, and his family had already passed away. 10 years had passed on the ground during the few days Urashima Taro spent in the sea. Urashima Taro was in trouble and opened that mysterious box. Then white smoke came out of the box, and the young Urashima Taro immediately became an old man with a white beard. Opening the box brought Urashima Taro's time back to the real world, and he became an old man.

Urashima Taro sails home from the underwater (Ryugujo) Dragon King's Palace on a bushy blond-haired turtle who happens to be the daughter of the Emperor of the sea. In this folktale from the 8th century, the boy, Urashima Taro, is a good person, kind enough to save a little turtle from a pack of bullies, however,  the moral of the story is; Do not forget where you come from, and the people you care about!