A young boy dressed in battle gear steps forward onto a rock. A pheasant sits on his shoulder, while a dog and a monkey stand by his side. He shields his eyes from the sun, and looks ready for a great adventure. This boy is Momotaro – a popular hero in Japanese folklore. Here, he’s the centerpiece of San Jose’s sister city plaza for Okayama, Japan.
As the story goes, Momotaro came to earth inside a giant peach. A childless old woman found the fruit floating on a river, and when she and her husband tried to eat it, the boy stepped out. They adopted him and named him Momotaro – momo means “peach”, and taro “eldest son.” Momotaro then went on to fight the demons rampaging through the land, with the help of his three talking animal friends – who often quarreled during their quest!
Momotaro’s story comes from Okayama. Like San Jose, this city in southwestern Japan was a farm town turned manufacturing and research center. It was San Jose’s first sister city – the partnership dates back to 1957.
