KINTARŌ 金太郎

Pronunciation: KEEN-tah-roh

Translation: The Golden Boy

Etymology: Kin means “gold,” “money,” or “metal.” Tarō used to be a popular name for first-born boys.

Overview

Kintarō isn’t a beastly, harmful, or playful yōkai but instead a much-beloved folkloric hero who goes by “Golden Boy” in the west. He is known for his incredible strength. Even as a child, he romped around the mountains in his scant attire, smashing rocks, uprooting trees, and wrestling bears, sumo-style. He was almost always in the company of his animal friends—a bear, a rabbit, a monkey, and a giant carp—sometimes riding them, sometimes fighting them, oftentimes going on adventures with them. It is rumored he had the ability to talk to them as well.

Kintarō’s epic exploits can be found not only in folktales and children’s books but also in numerous pieces of art by such masters as Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861), Utagawa Kunimaru (1794–1829), Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806), and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892), to name a few. It’s always easy to spot Kintarō. He’s red skinned, plump, and naked, or nearly so. You’ll also find him sporting a bob haircut with the very top shaved, perhaps symbolizing his warrior spirit, as that is how samurai wore their hair, to keep their heads cool inside their helmets. He also carries a battle-axe and, when not completely in the buff, wears a diamond-shaped red bib with the character for gold, kin (金)—the first kanji in his name—written on it.

Kintarō statues and figurines are popular to give to little boys to display around May 5, a day that was named after the ceremony Tango no Sekku (端午の節句) and called Boy’s Day (girls have their own day on March 3, called Hina Matsuri (ひな祭り), or the Doll Festival.). The fifth of May celebrated boys and their parents’ wishes that they grow up healthy and strong, just like Kintarō. In 1948, the Japanese government officially changed the holiday’s name to Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日), or Children’s Day. But it still retains the spirit of Tango no Sekku.

Background and Popular Stories

Of the three big mythical folk heroes in Japan (see the Momotarō and Urashima Tarō entries for the other two), Kintarō has the most historical facts connected to his story. He’s also the only one who doesn’t have a single folktale that can be easily retold over and over. Instead, there are many fragments of legends from his exceptional life that have been passed down and elaborated on.

Kintarō didn’t always go by that distinct and lauded name. He was born Sakata Kaidōmaru (坂田怪童丸) and seems to be based on a real person. Later, he went by the moniker Sakata no Kintoki (坂田金時) and was a powerful warrior who lived during the Heian era (C.E. 794–1185) and served as a retainer (loyal follower) to the great samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu (源頼光) (C.E. 948–1021), who sometimes went by Minamoto no Raikō.

While this superhuman character’s adult adventures are incredible and talked about a little elsewhere in this book, it’s the mythical childhood adventures of Kintarō that have boosted this chubby little champion to the status of one of Japan’s most cherished folk heroes.

There are numerous legends of his birth. They usually start with him being born in May of C.E. 956. From here the narratives veer into different directions. Some tales describe his mother as a woman named Yaegiri who loved him dearly and raised him well. In others, she had to flee after some family infighting and raised him in the forests on Mount Ashigara as well as she could. There are also versions where Yaegiri dies soon after their escape, leaving Kintarō an orphan. The parentless Kintarō might also have been raised by a yamauba, or mountain witch.

Other variants of the story state that Yaegiri (or the yamauba) was impregnated by a thunderclap, making Kintarō’s father Raijin (雷神), the god of thunder. This would explain his extraordinary strength. But there is also speculation that Kintarō’s father was a red dragon, which would account for his reddish skin. Although, usually, the rosy color is attributed to him being healthy and full of vigor.

A common Kintarō folktale goes like this: Long ago, in the forests on Mount Ashigara, the baby Kintarō lived with his doting mother. The legendary babe was an unusually strong child, and by the time he was crawling, he was able to pull a large millstone behind him. Praying for him to grow up bigger and stronger, his mother embroidered a bib with the first character of his name on it—kin, meaning “metal,” “gold,” or “money.”

When he grew older, the little boy was still indefatigable and spent most of his days outside playing with the animals that he had befriended and showing off his incredible strength, usually by challenging them to bouts of sumo, which he always won.

One day, a large bear lumbered by and challenged him, saying, “You might be strong, but you’re no match for me.” Kintarō accepted the challenge. The other animals acted as referees while the two wrestled. But the match didn’t last long, as Kintarō easily defeated the bear.

But there were no hard feelings. The two became fast friends, and Kintarō could be seen riding his new buddy through the woods on his different adventures, such as while collecting chestnuts or fighting demon ogres.

Kintarō became Sakata no Kintoki (or Sakata Kintoki) at the age of twenty, when he met Minamoto no Yorimitsu and, impressing the great leader with his might, was invited to become a retainer for the samurai, completing the famous fighting foursome Shitennō (四天王), or Four Heavenly Kings. Later, they were the ones who defeated Japan’s most heinous oni, Shuten Dōji, and the dreaded giant spider the tsuchigumo.

Kintoki’s death was quite anticlimactic after such a thrilling life. His master, Yorimitsu, died, and Kintoki spent three months visiting his grave every day and night. He then left the city, and no one heard from him again. Another story says that Kintoki died at the age of fifty-five from a serious fever.

In Modern Stories

Kintarō and his likeness are still prevalent today. He is the inspiration for Sakata Gintoki in the manga and anime Gintama, although the author chose to use silver, gin, instead of gold, kin. In the 2001 Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away, Yubaba’s giant baby is wearing a Kintarō bib. His, though, has the character bō (坊), which means “boy,” instead of Kintarō’s kin (金). The manga YuYu Hakusho has a villainous version of the hero called Makintarō (魔金太郎)—literally “Evil Kintarō.” Then lastly, in the game Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you can find a wig that resembles Kintarō’s own hairstyle in the clothing shop Able Sisters.