Folktales from Japan: Season 6
Like in any culture, Japanese kids grow up listening to the stories repeatedly told by their parents and grandparents. The boy born from a peach; the princess from the moon who is discovered inside a bamboo; the old man who can make a dead cherry tree blossom, etc. These short stories that teach kids to see both the dark and bright sides of life have passed traditional moral values from generation to generation. Sou
Season 6 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Folktales from Japan Season 5.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
Like in any culture, Japanese kids grow up listening to the stories repeatedly told by their parents and grandparents. The boy born from a peach; the princess from the moon who is discovered inside a bamboo; the old man who can make a dead cherry tree blossom, etc. These short stories that teach kids to see both the dark and bright sides of life have passed traditional moral values from generation to generation.
Source: crunchyroll
Episode Guide
Season 6 Progress Shield
Sameuratarou Became a Rock / Koukichi Flies Through the Sky
Apr 2, 2017 · 25 min
A whale turns into a rock. A man wants to learn to fly, but runs into resistance from the Japanese government. Source: crunchyroll
The Bamboo Shoot Child / The Demon Kite of Ikinoshim
Apr 9, 2017 · 25 min
A child appears from inside a stalk of bamboo. A village makes a kite with the face of an oni. Source: crunchyroll
The Catfish God / Inou Tadataka
Apr 16, 2017 · 25 min
A wife unwittingly offends a powerful catfish god. Inou Tadataka becomes the first man to make a map of Japan. Source: crunchyroll
Kappa Stone / The Moss Ball of Akan Lake
Apr 23, 2017 · 25 min
A boy throws a rock at a baby kappa, and its father puts a powerful curse on him. The lake moss of the Ainu come to be refered as the heart of the forest. Source: crunchyroll
The Hunter and the Oni / The Three Shrine Festival of Asakusa
Apr 30, 2017 · 25 min
A hunter outwits a giant ogre called an oni. Two sons find a statue of one of the buddhas while trying to catch fish for their sick mother. Source: crunchyroll
Anju and Zushiou / Kicchomu-san the Sharp
May 7, 2017 · 25 min
A brother and sister escape from enslavement. Stories are told of Kicchomu, who is famous for his cleverness. Source: crunchyroll
Granny Orin and the Bottle Rock / The Madara Demon God and Kannon-sama
May 14, 2017 · 25 min
An old woman sacrifices herself to bring prosperity to a starving village. A demon god repairs a destroyed temple. Source: crunchyroll
The Akoya Pine / The Spicy Lotus Root of Higo
May 21, 2017 · 25 min
A girl falls in love with the spirit of a pine tree. A frail lord is tempted into eating more by the power of mustard and lotus root. Source: crunchyroll
Chikaraishi Plays Sumo / The Great Buddha of Nara
May 28, 2017 · 25 min
A man named Chikaraishi battles Kappa for sumo supremacy. The great buddha of Nara is built over a period of decades. Source: crunchyroll
The Golden Ladle / The Chaguchagu Pony
Jun 4, 2017 · 25 min
An ogre possesses a golden ladle. A young boy's beloved horse is brutally treated by a rich man. Source: crunchyroll
The Wolf Rich Man / Shouki-san and the Demon Roof Tile
Jun 11, 2017 · 25 min
A man gains the ability to see others for the animals they really are. A demon roof tile brings misfortune. Source: crunchyroll
Doukan / Priest Enkuu
Jun 18, 2017 · 25 min
A peasant hears about Japanese poetry and decides to try some for himself. A monk whittles 100,000 statues of buddha. Source: crunchyroll
The Beefy Biceps Given by a Ghost / The Yummy Miso That`s a Hacchou Away
Jun 25, 2017 · 25 min
A ghost makes a man strong. Good miso is found only a short distance away. Source: crunchyroll
The Giant Barley Straw Snake / Uesugi Youzan Makes It Work
Jul 2, 2017 · 25 min
A snake made of straw comes to life. Uesugi Youzan makes things happen. Source: crunchyroll
The Tofu Priest Statue / Hiraga Gennai
Jul 9, 2017 · 25 min
A greedy man wants to cheat customers out of tofu. A lowly merchant grows to great riches. Source: crunchyroll
Houko-san / Wabicha and Senno Rikyuu
Jul 16, 2017 · 25 min
A girl sacrifices herself to save her master's daughter. Sen Rikyuu creates a new style of tea. Source: crunchyroll
Tanuki Fields / The Orange Boat of Bunzaemon
Jul 23, 2017 · 25 min
Tanuki plow a field for a kind man. Bunzaemon becomes rich selling oranges. Source: crunchyroll
The Pilgrim and the Bath / The Slaying of the Monster of Himeji Castle
Jul 30, 2017 · 25 min
A man gets a bathtub stuck to his butt by an angry god. A warrior challenges the ghosts of Himeji castle. Source: crunchyroll
The Power Given by an Ogre / The Okesabushi of Okei
Aug 6, 2017 · 25 min
An oni gives a girl great power. A cat of repays the kindness of its owners. Source: crunchyroll
A Story of Sage Kume / The Moon, the Buddha, and My Soba
Aug 13, 2017 · 25 min
A man wants to be a Sennin but fails, so he becomes a salesman instead. Kobayashi Issa, the haiku poet, thinks of the sun, the moon, and his soba. Source: crunchyroll
Osengafuchi / The Medicine-Seller of Toyama
Aug 20, 2017 · 25 min
A man falls in love with a carp he catches in a lake. A lord learns the ways of herbs. Source: crunchyroll
Daikoku-sama and Denzaburou the Rich Man / The Tanuki Priest and Kenchin Soup
Aug 27, 2017 · 25 min
A lazy man becomes rich with the help of a god. A raccoon gathers donations for a temple. Source: crunchyroll
The Dream-Telling Priest Statue / The Iwatsuki Doll
Sep 3, 2017 · 25 min
A priest statue gives warnings in dreams. A master dollmaker makes a doll from unique materials. Source: crunchyroll
Ninja Isuke and the Oosanshouuo / Arita-yaki Shine Like Persimmons
Sep 10, 2017 · 25 min
A ninja learns secret techniques. New methods for pottery are divised. Source: crunchyroll
The Rice-Spouting Priest Statue / The Dog Goes to Ise
Sep 17, 2017 · 25 min
A priest statue spits out yummy rice. A dog goes to Ise. Source: crunchyroll
The Sesame Seed Manjuu / The Beginning of Dougo Hot Springs
Oct 1, 2017 · 25 min
A woman uses sesame seed buns to turn people into cows. The hot springs at dogo are discovered. Source: crunchyroll
Heishirou of Dokkoi Makabe / Standing on Mt. Fuji
Oct 8, 2017 · 25 min
A boy becomes high priest after a lowly upbringing. A girl becomes the first woman to stand on Mt. Fuji. Source: crunchyroll
The Bikki Wife / The Oumi Merchant
Oct 15, 2017 · 25 min
A man marries a frog wife. A merchant from Edo teaches people a valuable lesson about quality goods. Source: crunchyroll
The Ship Ghosts of Usa / The Tanuki War of Awa
Oct 22, 2017 · 25 min
A ship of ghosts tries to drag the living to the bottom of the ocean. Raccoons fight a war in Awa. Source: crunchyroll
The Rain of the Setomono Festival / The Silkworm and the Wife Lord
Oct 29, 2017 · 25 min
A hard-working potter learns the secrets of lacquerware. In Shirataki, the wife is the boss. Source: crunchyroll
Eyeball Swapping / The Byakkotai
Nov 5, 2017 · 25 min
A man becomes a doctor after his eyeball falls out. In Aizu, the Byakkotai dies at the end of a war. Source: crunchyroll
The Priest and the Old Tanuki / Otane`s Lake
Nov 12, 2017 · 25 min
A priest becomes friends with an old raccoon. A beautiful woman called Otane meets a sad fate. Source: crunchyroll
The Man Who Wanted to Be a Black Kite / The Mountain Princess of Yakushima
Nov 19, 2017 · 25 min
A man wants to be a black kite. A sinister creature haunts a tree on a island. Source: crunchyroll
Wanting to Be Poor / The Blessings of Uzumi
Nov 26, 2017 · 25 min
A man wants to be poor. A lord forbids his people from luxuries. Source: crunchyroll
Yajiemon and the Big Bear / Nikkou Toushougu and Hidari Jingorou
Dec 3, 2017 · 25 min
Yajiemon fights a giant bear. A man designs the gate for a temple after badly injuring his left hand. Source: crunchyroll
The God Riding on a Cucumber / Use an Abacus to Make Kaga a Million Koku
Dec 10, 2017 · 25 min
A god rides on a cucumber. A lord becomes rich using his abacus to keep expenses down. Source: crunchyroll
The Farting Wife / The Chef of Shuri Castle
Dec 17, 2017 · 25 min
A wife farts so hard that she blows down trees. A chef in Okinawa competes for the best dish. Source: crunchyroll
The Mountain Granny`s Mochi / Namahage
Dec 24, 2017 · 25 min
A mountain granny brings prosperity in exchange for delicious mochi. Horrible creatures called Namahage strike a town in Akita. Source: crunchyroll
The Invisible Man / The River Otter of Shimanto River
Dec 31, 2017 · 25 min
A man becomes invisible and feels very alone. A river otter is tricked by dastardly shrimp. Source: crunchyroll
Three Grains of Rice, Three Grains of Gold / Jirochou of Shimizu
Jan 7, 2018 · 25 min
Three grains of rice become three grains of gold. A man named Jirochou is an inpsiration to everyone. Source: crunchyroll
The Swordsman and the Bale of Straw / The Pack Carriers of Mackerel Highway
Jan 14, 2018 · 25 min
A samurai breaks a teacup owned by a poor man. Pack runners carry salmon along a mountain path. Source: crunchyroll
Mountain Granny Shrine / Sugawara Michizane and the Legend of the Flying Plum
Jan 21, 2018 · 25 min
A mountain grannie repays those who are kind to her. A child prodigy is banished far from the capital. Source: crunchyroll
The Paper Bag Wind / Tanabata-san`s Present
Jan 28, 2018 · 25 min
A man bags the wind. An ancient legend about Tanabata is still told to this day. Source: crunchyroll
The Mountain Monk Tanuki / The Doll Stones of Kintai Bridge
Feb 4, 2018 · 25 min
A raccoon disguises itself as a mountain monk. A woman is sacrificed to make a bridge sturdy. Source: crunchyroll
Yagorou-don and the Men / The Bug-Sending of Tsugaru
Feb 11, 2018 · 25 min
A giant called Yagorou-dono lived long ago. A god drives away insects from crops. Source: crunchyroll
Ishidoumaru / Konoshiro and Matsue Castle
Feb 18, 2018 · 25 min
A boy called Ishidoumaru searches for his father. A lord battles a monster in his keep. Source: crunchyroll
The Colt That Escaped from a Painting / The Cold Soup Granny
Feb 25, 2018 · 25 min
A horse from a painting comes alive. A recipe is made for cold soup. Source: crunchyroll
The Monk Who Went to Hell / Mito Mitsukuni Is Hungry
Mar 4, 2018 · 25 min
A greedy priest is sent to hell. A great man named Mito Mitsukuni is very hungry. Source: crunchyroll
The 16th Day Cherry Tree / Monkey Bridge
Mar 11, 2018 · 25 min
A cherry tree blooms on the night of the full moon. A bridge-maker makes a bride over a steep canyon. Source: crunchyroll
The Gongen-sama on the Northern Mountain / Anchin and Kiyohime
Mar 18, 2018 · 25 min
A goddess lives on the northern mountain. Kiyohime becomes a snake and attacks the one she loves. Source: crunchyroll