Toki Alley tales

When sheltering from the rain under the same roof as a foxy-eyed friend, one would do well to keep watch for pranks. This, for sooth, has been tanuki teaching for years untold — Tanuki Historical Commentary

The Tale of Gonbei

Gonbei is 76 years old and is the only mortal living in Toki Alley.

He was a farmer, a samurai, and a craftsman.

The box in my hand is his handiwork, its smooth black lacquer surface inlaid with an iridescent mother-of-pearl. This was a craft he learned from the fishermen of Watatsumi Island.

"Thank you for your hard work."

The old man in front of me bowed his head deeply.

Although I privately thought that this was the way mortals were supposed to behave towards youkai, I still felt a twinge of pity for his melancholy.

According to Gonbei, contrary to popular legend, he was once close friends with the Ameonna who roamed the mountains and forests.

It's just that, Gonbei, who was a teenager at the time, was trying to bring rain to the drought-stricken fields of his hometown. He thus heeded the village elder's words and went to the mountains to seek help from the Ameonna.

At that time, Granny Ame was no longer young and was keenly aware of the many changes in the world. But the beings of the mountains and forests are always more simple and naïve, compared to mortals.

Hmm, what happened later? The young Gonbei made the unspeakable mistake of deceiving the beings of the mountains and seas. Although to this day, he still insists that his deceit was to save his hometown.

And his village did have a rare harvest year because of the heavy rainfall.

After that, Gonbei, who was deeply ashamed, avoided the mountains far away and came to live in the city for a long time.

"I'm so sorry." The elderly mortal bowed his head, but did not take the wooden box.

I left his house, before the moonlight was shrouded by dark clouds