Look Inside

LOOK INSIDE

Open three small doors into the world of Magical Tails

In Japan, animals are never only animals. A fox may carry a mission, a lizard may remember a kindness, and a dragon may bring a gift.

Fox story illustration from Magical Tails
狐

THE FOX

A song across the snow

A mother fox hears a distant voice singing, carried across the snowy mountains. She follows it down a quiet path, drawn closer with every step, until she finds something she never expected.

Just then, faint voices floated up the valley. At first, the mother fox thought she was dreaming, but the sound grew sharper and closer...

Something to notice in Japan

At an Inari shrine, look carefully at the fox statues. What does this mean? Then, check to see if they carry a key, jewel, scroll or sheaf of rice in their mouths. What can your child discover?

鶴

THE CRANE

A boy, a throw, a crane

A boy from a clan throws a piece of mochi into the winter sky, and watches as something impossible happens. What follows becomes the little-known origin of one of Japan's most iconic shrines.

Before anyone had ever dreamed of Tokyo as a capital, nearly 1,300 years in the past, Japan's heart was quietly beating in Nara. In those days, a clan called the Hata lived in Kyoto. Among them was a kind and thoughtful young man named Irogu Hata.

Something to notice in Japan

Look for cranes on kimono, ceramics, paper and family crests. In Japanese art and stories, cranes are often associated with longevity, devotion and gratitude.

Crane story illustration from Magical Tails
Dragon story illustration from Magical Tails
龍

THE DRAGON

A gift carried from the water

Far from shore, a small fishing boat crosses an endless sea. Then thunder cracks, the waves rise and the boat begins to sink. Just when all seems lost, a dragon appears, bearing something that sparkles against the storm.

Long, long ago, when the world was mostly ocean and the land of Japan had yet to rise, a small fishing boat sailed across the endless sea. Its crew cast their nets under a sky full of stars, unaware that their lives would soon change forever.

Something to notice in Japan

At shrines and temples, take a look at the water basin. Your child may spot a dragon watching over the water or forming the spout, a clue to the dragon’s ancient role as a water god in Japanese legends.

CONTINUE THE JOURNEY

Eleven stories are waiting

Meet foxes, cranes, dragons, cats, koi, crows, butterflies, tanuki and other creatures from Japan’s natural and imaginative worlds.

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