Topic Research: Japanese Myths in Animal Crossing

The topic I have decided on focusing for my storybook project will be Japanese folklore incorporated into the world of Animal Crossing New Horizons. Many of the characters found in the video game are based on Japanese myths, so I think it will be interesting to write stories adding to the existing lore of the game.

Story Idea 1:  The popular fairytale of Urashima describes a skilled fisher who is kind to all animals. One day he saves a turtle who rewards him by taking him to Rin Gin, the Palace of the Dragon King of the Sea. Once there, the turtle reveals herself to be the shapeshifting human princess of the palace and the two get married. Urashima spends a few days there admiring the mystical palace but then realize he misses home so he returns to the surface and promises to come back the next day. The princess agress and gives him a box to remember her by, but warns him not to actually open it. When he arrives at his home he learns that he has actually been gone for 300 years. He is so upset by this that he feels like he might as well open the box. But once the box opens, he rapidly ages and dies. (The story of Urashima can be found in Ozaki's Japanese Fairytales or Whitehorn's Wonder Tales of Old Japan)

I think elements of this folktale can be used to describe how the main character ends up on the island in the game and shows how enthralled they are by the talking animals they encounter.

Story Idea 2: Tanuki are Japanese raccoon-dogs that are often depicted as trickster shapeshifters and sometimes are symbols of wealth. This Wikipedia article has more information on legends that include this creature. In Animal Crossing, Tom Nook is a tanuki who guides the player throughout the game, giving them tasks and selling the player their house. It might be fun to create a story revealing Tom Nook's nefarious motives by trying to take advantage of the player.

Tom Nook (Source: Wikipedia)

Story Idea 3: In Japanese folklore, the tapir (or baku) is an animal that can devour nightmares. More about this myth can be found at this Wikipedia article. An example of this is in the story "Little Silver's Dream of the Shoji" which can be found in Griffis' Japanese Fairyworld. Animal Crossing has a tapir character named Luna whom you meet whenever your character lies on a bed and decides to go to sleep. She allows you to jump into other player's "dreams" which essentially means you can visit their island while they are not playing the game.

Illustration of a baku (Source: Wikipedia)