Japan Heritage story
Okayama, where the Momotaro legend was born
「桃太郎伝説」の生まれたまち おかやま
Long ago Okayama was the powerful land of Kibi. Its legend of Prince Kibitsuhiko defeating the ogre Ura is said to be the origin of Momotaro, the peach boy, and you can still visit the cliff-top fortress, standing stones and shrines where the story is set.
Key facts
- Theme
- Castles, Ancient burial mounds, Festivals and rituals, Food and sake
- Era
- Kofun, Nara
- Region
- Chugoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 「桃太郎伝説」の生まれたまち おかやま
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- 〜古代吉備の遺産が誘う鬼退治の物語〜
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 岡山県（岡山市, 倉敷市, 総社市, 赤磐市）
The story
The legend says an ogre called Ura built a castle on a mountain above the Kibi plain and raided the villages. Prince Kibitsuhiko, sent by the Yamato king, made camp on Kibi-no-Nakayama and raised giant stones as a shield against Ura's arrows. Their arrows met in the air again and again, until the prince's arrow struck Ura's left eye and the blood flowed like a river. Ura fled as a pheasant, then as a carp, but the prince chased him as a hawk and then a cormorant, caught him, and buried his head at Hakusan Shrine.
Ancient Kibi rivalled Yamato in power, and the story is said to reflect their struggle. The legend later grew into the folk tale of Momotaro, who fights ogres with a dog, a monkey and a pheasant. Kibi's sunny climate has long been good for peaches, and the millet dumplings Momotaro shares, kibi-dango, are now Okayama's best-known souvenir.
What to see
- Kinojo: an ancient fortress on a cliff-top mountain, said to be Ura's castle, with stone and earth walls about 2.8 km around.Google Maps 鬼ノ城 (opens in a new tab)
- Tatetsuki site: a Yayoi chief's mound about 1,800 years old, crowned with huge standing stones, said to be the prince's shield.Google Maps 楯築遺跡 (opens in a new tab)
- Kibitsu Shrine: the shrine of Prince Kibitsuhiko, with a huge main hall and a corridor about 400 m long.Google Maps 吉備津神社 (opens in a new tab)
- Koikui Shrine and Yagui-no-miya: small shrines where the carp was caught and where the arrows fell.Google Maps 鯉喰神社 (opens in a new tab)
- Tsukuriyama tomb: one of the largest 5th-century tombs in Japan, which you can climb.Google Maps 造山古墳 (opens in a new tab)
Plan your trip with the Okayama prefecture guide and see more history and heritage.
Good to know
- Climb to Kinojo's walls for views that reach the Seto Inland Sea.
- Climb one of the great tombs, such as Tsukuriyama, to feel how big they are.
- Take home kibi-dango, the dumplings from the Momotaro story.
Questions travellers ask
Is Momotaro from Okayama?
The tale is said to grow out of Okayama's legend of Prince Kibitsuhiko defeating the ogre Ura, and it is closely tied to the land of Kibi.
Who was Ura?
The ogre of the legend, said to have lived at Kinojo. He is also honoured at Kibitsu Shrine, where an ogre mask is kept.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
- Fukiya: the birthplace of Japan Red
- Japan's old schools: where a nation learned to read
- Kitamaebune: the merchant ships that made Japan's port towns rich
- Kurashiki: a textile town that grew from one cotton flower
- The Six Ancient Kilns: pottery born and raised in Japan
- The stone islands of the Seto Inland Sea
- Wakanoura: a bay of views that inspired poets
Local foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.