Among many Japanese legends and tales, that of the old Hanasaka Jiisan stands out for a long time. This tale features the main character, the old Hanasaka jiji, or old man of spring. This story has been passed down through generations. Many books mention the tale of the man who could make dead trees bloom. This old man has a loyal companion, a little dog named Shiro.
This story is told as an example of kindness that overcomes greed and cruelty. In Japan, there is even an expression related to this tale. When someone is sad or lacking energy, looking like a dry or dead tree, they often say that it is necessary to “call the old man who makes trees bloom”. So let’s get to know this beautiful story.
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The old man and his dog Shiro
Once upon a time, long ago, on a remote mountainous island in Japan, there lived an old man and his wife. This elderly couple made a living by working hard on their land. They had a little dog that looked very much like a wolf with snow-white fur named Shiro. Without any children, the couple gave all their love and affection to this dog.
Shiro accompanied the couple’s work in the field every day. But one day, Shiro started barking non-stop. The dog ran to his owner, grabbed his clothes, and pulled him to a certain place. Upon arriving at this location, the dog began to dig rapidly. Seeing this, the old man took his hoe and started to help the dog. To their great surprise, while digging, they found large pieces of gold. Very happy, they returned home to share the news. The generous couple decided to share the gold with the entire village.
The power of greed
However, there was a couple of neighbors who were very stingy and greedy and did not like the kind couple. When they heard about this story, they quickly knocked on the couple’s door. They asked if they could take Shiro for just one day, intending to find more gold. Being generous, the old man and his wife allowed Shiro to go with them.
As they distanced themselves from the house, the wicked old man tied up the dog, took his hoe, and set off, forcing him to search for gold. After much mistreatment, Shiro stopped near a tree and began to get agitated. Thinking that the dog had found gold, the old man pushed the dog and soon began to dig. After much work, he found only trash.
In great anger, the old man took his hoe and struck Shiro, killing him. He returned home without telling anyone anything. The kind elderly couple was anxious for Shiro’s return. So they decided to go to their neighbors and ask what had happened. Surprisingly, upon arriving there, the wicked old man confessed to what he had done. This left the elderly couple devastated. Then the good old man, very sad, went to the place where his faithful companion had died, picked him up by the arm, and took him back home to bury him.
Every day, the good couple cried over the dog’s grave. In the spot where he was buried, a small sprout emerged. The next day, the sprout became a strong and large tree. As days passed, it grew more and more until they could no longer see its branches. But one day, a very strong storm knocked down the tree.
They then decided to build a mortar from the wood of this tree. This mortar would be used to prepare the dough for mochi, a rice cake that Shiro loved very much. After building the mortar, they went to prepare the dough for the cake. When the old man began to pound the dough, he noticed that it started to turn into gold. As he pounded, more and more gold appeared. And once again, he shared all this gold with the village.
Kindness is rewarded
Again, the greedy old neighbors decided they wanted that dough. And once again, the good old couple allowed them to use the mortar. But when they used it, the dough turned into a dark sludge. Furious, they destroyed the mortar and set it on fire. When the good old man arrived and saw what had happened, he collected the ashes that remained, placed them in a small basket, and took them home.
Upon arriving, a wind blew some of the ashes from the basket, which spread through the air and reached a dead tree. This dead tree immediately began to bloom. Soon, beautiful cherry blossoms began to appear on its branches. As the ashes spread, tree after tree bloomed.
Soon the news spread, and the court summoned the old man to their kingdom. Upon arriving at the castle, the old man threw the ashes into the air, and immediately the nearby trees bloomed. The feudal lord, Daimyo, was enchanted by all of this and gifted him with rich objects. He also requested that the old man be called Hana-Saka-Jijii, or the old man who made trees bloom.
Upon hearing this news, the greedy old man gathered the remaining ashes from the burned mortar. He then went to the kingdom claiming to be the true bearer of the ashes. Upon arriving before the Daimyo, he threw the ashes into the air, and nothing bloomed. But the ashes got into the eyes and mouth of the Daimyo, choking him and leaving him blind. It was then ordered that this greedy old man be arrested.
The good old man then shared everything he had gained with his village. Even so, there was enough left to live in peace and happiness for the rest of his life. To conclude the article, let’s leave a video of the legend in Japanese:
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