Momotaro and the Island of Ogres

A Japanese folktale, retold, with a postscript, by Stephanie Wada; paintings by Kano Naganobu. The amazing adventures of Momotaro, a boy found inside a peach and raised by an elderly couple, is one of Japan's most popular folktales. One of the finest illustrated versions of the tale known today appears in an exquisite handscroll painted by Kano Naganobu (1775-1828), in the Spencer Collection of The New York Public Library; those illustrations are reproduced here in their entirety. The story follows Momotaro's journey to the terrifying Island of Ogres where, with the aid of some animal friends, he lays siege to the demons' ill-gotten treasures. One of the first Japanese folktales to have been translated into English, Momotaro is a delightful and lively voyage of the imagination that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. A postscript looks at the tradition of illustrated folk stories in Japan, with examples of Momotaro pictures and related imagery in various forms of art, including painting and woodblock printing. The career of the artist, Kano Naganobu, and the artistic climate in which he worked are also reviewed.