Email Newsletter from Mayor of Okayama (92) October 26, 2017 Issue

【My New Theory on the Legend of Momotaro 】

Hello, I’m Masao Omori, Mayor of Okayama.

When talking about Okayama, Momotaro is what we never skip.

It is the very famous folktale of Momotaro, the boy born from a peach. Accompanied by a dog, a monkey and a pheasant, he went on a journey to subdue the group of ogres who terrorized the people.

A model of Momotaro legend is thought to be Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto’s story of subduing Ura.

Kibitushiko no mikoto is the man who appeared in Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan) and Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) written in the Nara Period. He was sent by the

Yamato Imperial Court to suppress the War of Kibi.

The story of Ura is in the ancient book which has been handed down in the national treasure Kibitsu Shrine. The book is supposed to have been compiled in the Muromachi

Period, but there is no doubt that the stories are of ancient times.

Ura, mentioned as an ogre in the story, was an immigrant from Baekje Kingdom in the Korean Peninsula. The Baekje people escaped to Wakoku (ancient Japan) after losing the Battle of Baekgang (663) against Tang and Silla Kingdom. The people of

Baekje are said to have got along well with their neighbors and have brought prosperity to the region by constructing ancient mountain castles such as Kinojyo

Castle and imparting steel manufacturing technique to the people of Wakoku.

This can be learnt from the fact that Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and Ura are worshiped together as the guardian god of the community. Urajya Odori dance, an annual summer event in Okayama, is themed on coexistence and conciliation. It is said that Uraja festival expresses gratitude towards Ura, who enriched Okayama.

Then, why was Ura regarded as an ogre and why was the episode of defeating him created?

The answer may lie in the situation at that time. As the existence of Tsukuriyama

Kofun (the 4 th largest ancient tomb in the nation) explains, a force comparable to the

Yamato Imperial Court existed in Kibi region in the 5 th century. However in the end of the 5 th century, no huge tomb was built anymore, and the Kibi clan was thought to be defeated by the Yamato Imperial Court in the reign of Emperor Yuryaku.

Generally, Yamato forces are described as Momotaro and the Kibi clan was as ogres in the story made from the viewpoint of the winner.

However, I began to think that fact different from this basic theory also exists in the background.

That is the Jinshin War (672), which broke out nine years after the Battle of

Baekgang. In this war, Emperor’s son (Prince Otomo) and Emperor’s younger brother

(Prince Oama) fought over the right of succession to the imperial throne and their dispute divided the nation into two.

At that time, Tang and Silla, former allies, had deepened their conflicts over the hegemony of the Korean Peninsula. And Tang asked Wakoku for support. The Baekje people close to Prince Otomo wanted to respond to the request out of hostility towards

Silla. However, local ruling families who lost many comrades in the Battle of Baekgang were reluctant to fight against Silla, so they took Prince Oama’s side.

After that, Prince Oama won to accede to the throne as Emperor Tenmu. He committed to establish the Japanese nation under the Ritsuryo codes and deepened the relationship with Silla.

From the above, the winners, Prince Oama’s side, might have something like hostility towards the losers, the Baekje forces surrounding Prince Otomo.

Here is the viewpoint of the winner again. It is thought that people of Baekje symbolized by Kinojyo Castle were regarded as ogres and the story of

Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto’s defeating them was created.

Furthermore, this theory seems to be more reliable to me, considering the fact that the compilation of Nihonshoki and Kojiki was just half a century after the Battle of

Baekgang and the Jinshin War.

In addition, there is another theory that the mastermind of the Jinshin War was the empress of Emperor Tenmu (later Empress Jito), and the war was caused by her as she wanted Prince Kusakabe, the son of herself and Emperor Tenmu, to take advantage in the succession to the throne. In this way, Empress Jito seems to be a key player in the birth of Momotaro legend.

Also, perhaps, Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto’s defeating Ura and Momotaro’s subduing ogres were not based on a single model, but they might be born as a combination of various stories beyond the times.

My theory is just one of them. Exploring the history evokes a sense of romanticism, and which is absolutely interesting.