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The Old Man and the Cherry Trees
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It's a story of an old man who caused the cherry trees to bloom by scattering the ashes of the bones of his beloved dog. An example ofthis can be found in .Hack//Liminality when they go to an event contest. A mention of this is also in
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Oni
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Oni are Japanese demons. They are usually painted as having red or blue skin, have horns on their heads, wear tiger striped clothing, and weilds a club. There is a legend that states when it is raining, and it thunders, the onis comes out and descends from the clouds to steal away the belly buttons of naughty children. Hatta and Komatsu from KOR apparently still believes in this.
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Orochimaru
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Paper Cranes
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It is said that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true. Usually done by the sick wishing for good health. Example of this can be found in The Flame of Recca and in the A Thousand Paper Cranes episode of
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Princess Kaguya
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Also known as the Moon Princess or the Bamboo Cutter's daughter. It was a tale made in the 9th century in which a bamboo cutter lucks into a baby girl hidden within a bamboo whom he raised into the perfect woman. In the second part of the tale, she becomes so beautiful that powerful men would try to woo her and of the five most illustrious of her suitors, she sent on impossible tasks such as seeking the Buddha's stone bowl, finding the shell of fortune, the fur of the fire rat, the jeweled branch from the mystic island and so forth. In the end, she is claimed by the King of the Moon as it is revealed that she was originally a citizen of the moon and had been banished for her vanity. She leaves the elixir of immortality to the emperor of Japan, but without her, the emperor believed immortality to be of no use and burned it on top of Mount Fuji which is why the top of Mount Fuji is covered with fog and how it got its name (Fuji - Fushi - Undying).
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Seahorses and Dragons
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It is said that if a seahorse lives long enough, it grows up to become a dragon. Hatori Sohma, cursed with the sign of the dragon from the Chinese Zodiac, transforms into a seahorse in episode 8 of
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Shinigami
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Literal translation is death god (shi = death, kami/gami = god) and is translated us such in many occasions, but as I'd like to point out, kami closer in meaning to spirits that possess all things (or all things posses). Thus, I believe that "Angel of Death" is a translation that is closer to the word Shinigami. Bleach is all about Shinigamis.
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Snow Woman
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Son Goku
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A character in the mythical story Journey to the West. Goku is the monkey king who was extremely violent and in order for him to be controled, a circlet was placed on his forehead to limit his strength give him punishment whenever he misbehaved. He also carries a staff weapon that elongates and the Kin'tonen, a cloud he can ride on. He is the basis for Goku of Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, and the series Monley Magic.
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Star Festival
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The Star Festival, also known as Tanabato, is the only time when two star crossed lovers, represented by Altair and Vega, can meet.
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Susano-Oh
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Tametebako
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A box that was given to Urashima Taro by the dragon princess. Urashima Keitaro from Love Hina used to get teased about this legend a lot when he was growing up.
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Tanukis
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Also known as racoon dogs. They are shapeshifters and are often portrayed as miscehvious creatures. They often steal sake by buying them from merchant. When they have left of course, the money they used turns back into ordinary leaves. When in danger, they can turn into stone. Tanuki statues are litered all through out. They would be the giant brown statues seen with giant balls. They also sometimes have hats, mallets, and sake bottles. Ayaka Kisaragi uses one to hide when she followed a suspect in
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Tengus
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There are actually several varieties of tengus. Of them, there are four main varieties.
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Urashima Taro
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Urashima Taro once saved a turtle on the beach that was being picked on. As a reward, the turtle allowed him to ride on its back to the Dragon Palace where he spent his time having fun. When he started missing his home, the princess gave him a box called the "tametebako" and told him never to open it. Returning to his village, he had realized that a hundred years had already passed, and saddened by the loss of his firends, forgot the princess' warning and opened the box. The instant he does, he ages quickly and becomes how old he really is. His tale and the Tamatebako is recounted by Jet in the Speak Like a Child episode of Cowboy Bebop.
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