#urashimataro

This Ukiyo-e is likely to be from 1877~1896.

The gate In the upper left corner seems like the gate to the dragon palace.

One day, three divers suddenly descended from the world above the ground to the water world. The Self-Defense Forces of Ryugu are fighting against humans with their swords and spears. The large octopus in the middle seems to command the Self-Defence Forcces.

In the bottom left, there is a blowfish soldier are being crushed by a human. To help the comrade, the other soldiers like squid and stingray are attacking back the human.

Looking at the picture, some might noticed why the Forces do not just cut off the air hose. Fishes are so used to breathe under water that they might not realize humans will be done by just chopping off the hose.

At first sight, what did you think they were doing? Let me know in the comment section!

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『しん板さかな尽（しんぱんさかなづくし）』

作　歌川幾英

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この #浮世絵 は明治十年代から二十年代（1877~1896）に描かれたようです。

左上の門は、#竜宮城 の門のように見受けられます。

ある日突然、三人の潜水夫が地上の世界から水中の世界へと降りてきた様子。 竜宮城の自衛隊は刀や槍を持って、人間と戦っていますね。 中央の大きな #タコ は自衛隊を指揮しているのでしょうか。

また左下では、フグの兵士が人間に踏みつぶされてしまっています。 仲間のフグを助けるため、イカやエイなどの他の兵士が反撃しているようです。

浮世絵を眺めていて、なぜ自衛隊は空気のホースを切ってしまわないのだろうかということに気付いたかもしれません。 魚たちは水中で息をすることに慣れているため、ホースを切ってしまうだけで人間は終わりだということに気付かないのかもしれないですね。

Lance as Urashimataro was the first parallel I thought of. Aside from the obvious sea themes, the story is just so very fitting. It’s about a kindhearted fisherman who rescues a turtle from being brutally beaten to death and the grateful turtle takes Lance on an adventure to the fantastic and magical Ryuuguu Palace at the bottom of the sea. There, he’s treated to sights and sounds and experiences he never even dreamt of in his ordinary life on the surface, including meeting the Princess Otohime.

But other three days he starts missing home, his mum and surface world, and asks to return despite the extraordinary life he could have at the Palace. She agrees to let him go and gives him a box, telling him not to open it but that it protects him.

When he returns to the surface, he finds that 300 years have passed and everybody he knew was dead.

If somebody calls themselves ‘an Urashimataro’ it’s usually to indicate the feeling of being a stranger in a land that ought to be familiar after being away for some time.

Once upon a time...

Urashima Taro, the fisherman, found a turtle being bullied by children.

Taro felt sorry for the turtle, so helped it out and let it go back to the sea.

After a few days, the turtle again appeared in front of Taro, and said, "I'd like to take you to the Dragon Palace to show my appreciation."

At the palace, Taro were welcomed by the beautiful Princess Oto and fishes, and then, Taro wonderfully spent a couple of days there.

When Taro was sadly about to leave the palace, the princess gave Taro a special box, and said, "you should never open this box."

Taro sorrowfully returned to his world with riding on the turtle, but strangely, he couldn't find his house or someone he knows.

There was no longer anywhere like the world as it was before.

Not remembering the word from the princess, Taro opened the special box.