Kintaro wrestling a giant carp. Image Credit: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Kintaro (金太郎) or "Golden Boy" is a Japanese folk hero whose story differs depending on which version you listen to. One version says a princess gave birth to Kintaro near Mount Ashigara, Japan (left map), while another claims he was born much further north in the city of Sakata (right map). My personal favorite says a supernatural being gave birth to Kintaro after being impregnated by thunder sent from a red dragon. In my story, I will begin with the tale of Kintaro's birth, which I will further stretch by giving him cosmic origins. These origins will be important for the cosmic journey he will have to go on later in order to save the galaxy.
Different versions of the story of Kintaro tend to be more in agreement when it comes to Kintaro's childhood - he was a child with superhuman strength who could smash rocks and lift trees out of the ground. Kintaro did not make friends with other children, either because he would intimidate them or there were simply no kids to befriend in the forest. So, he made friends with animals instead, and in some versions of the story even learned to speak to them. Kintaro goes on many interesting adventures as a child; for the second part of my story, I will retell a story from his childhood without changing it too radically, so that he can develop into the brave hero that he is in the folklore.
As an adult, Kintaro moves to Kyoto where he is bestowed with the title "Chief of the Four Braves." This title honors Kintaro's life as a brave warrior and hero; however, I think it is a bit of an underwhelming final accomplishment for someone who had superhuman strength as a child. In the final part of my story, Kintaro's adult life will present him with his greatest challenge yet - he must save the galaxy from a catastrophic disaster.
If you want to read more about Kintaro's extraterrestrial journey, begin here.