Once upon a time, there was a low-ranking man living in Hata District, Tosa Province (Kochi Prefecture). He cultivated fields not in his own village but in another coastal area. He sowed seeds and prepared seedbeds in his own village. When the seedlings were ready to be planted, he would load them onto a boat along with hired planters, food, and various farming tools such as horse-tooth hoes, sickles, hoes, axes, and iron spades, and cross the sea.
The man had a son who was about fourteen or fifteen years old and a daughter who was about twelve or thirteen years old. The parents left the two children to watch the boat while they went ashore to hire planters.
Thinking they would only be gone for a short while, they left the boat on the shore with the mooring ropes untied. The two children, huddled together in the boat, soon fell asleep. During this time, the tide rose, causing the boat to float. The boat was then carried away by the wind and drifted far out to sea. As the tide turned, the boat was carried even further south, pushed by the wind. It seemed like a ship with its sails raised. When the children woke up, they found themselves in the middle of the ocean, in a place they had never seen before. They cried and screamed but could do nothing but be carried away by the wind.
The parents were unable to hire any planters. When they returned to the shore, the boat was gone. They thought the boat might have hidden somewhere sheltered from the wind, so they searched the area, calling out the children’s names, but there was no response. They called out many times, but the boat had vanished without a trace. In the end, they had to give up.
The boat drifted to an island far to the south. The children cautiously went ashore, tied the boat, and walked around. There was no one on the island. There was no way to return home. The two children cried. Eventually, the girl spoke.
“There is nothing we can do. But we should not give up our lives. As long as there is food on the boat, let’s eat it sparingly to stay alive. Before the seedlings wither, let’s plant them.”
The boy agreed.
“Let’s do as you say. You’re absolutely right.”
They found a place with water that could be turned into a field. Since they had all the necessary tools, they planted all the seedlings.
Using axes and spades, they cut down trees and built a hut to live in. They gathered and ate fruits and vegetables. As autumn came, the fields produced a bountiful harvest, providing them with plenty of rice. The siblings continued to live on the island, and as they grew older, they became a couple.
As time passed, many sons and daughters were born to them. These children also became couples. The island was large, so they were able to expand their fields. The descendants of the siblings spread out and eventually filled the island. People came to call the place “Okinoshima,” the Island of Siblings, located to the south of Tosa Province.
View from Daido Coast, Kochi Prefecture. The island in the distance to the left is Okinoshima.
It is said that the siblings ended up living on the island and becoming a couple due to their previous life’s destiny.
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka
This text was created by using ChatGPT-4o to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.
[Explanation]
Shinichi Kusano / Siro Inuzuka
The idea of siblings becoming a couple is considered incest, a taboo and prohibited in many parts of the world. This story has been noted for its possible connection to the myth of Izanagi and Izanami, the sibling gods.
[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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