Issun-boshi Legend

Issun-boshi is the Otogizoshi tale of a boy only one sun (about 3 cm) tall, granted by prayer to Sumiyoshi Myojin, who travels to the capital, slays a demon, and marries a noble's daughter. An aged couple of Naniwa in Settsu prayed at Sumiyoshi Taisha for a child and received the small boy. At twelve, his height unchanged, Issun-boshi set out for Kyoto with a bowl-boat, chopstick oar, and needle sword, was taken into service at the Sanjo minister's house, and on a pilgrimage to Kiyomizu-dera with the lord's daughter met a demon. Swallowed by the demon, he stabbed about with his needle until the demon surrendered, leaving behind a magical mallet (uchide no kozuchi). Shaken, the mallet grew Issun-boshi to full size; he married the lady and rose in rank. The Muromachi-period Otogizoshi "Issun-boshi" in the Otogi Bunko (printed Kanbun 6, 1666) is the textual core; Edo-period akahon and modern Iwaya Sazanami and Kusuyama Masao retellings spread the tale. Seki Keigo's Nihon Mukashibanashi Taisei groups it under "small-child tales."