batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l6128-l6233
---
record_id: batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l6128-l6233
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
passage_locator:
label: THE JELLY FISH AND THE MONKEY / THE QUARREL OF THE MONKEY AND THE CRAB /
THE WHITE HARE AND THE CROCODILES / THE STORY OF PRINCE YAMATO TAKE; lines 6128-6233
start: '6128'
end: '6233'
translation: Japanese Fairy Tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Princess Ototachibana leaps into the sea, after which the storm ceases
and Yamato Take reaches shore safely. Yamato Take remembers her sacrifice, later
encounters reports of a devouring mountain monster in Omi, goes to Ibuki Mountain,
kills a serpent with his hands, suffers poisoning, recovers in hot mineral springs,
and returns to Ise where thanks are given to Amaterasu for his preservation.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ototachibana leaps into the sea; the waves carry her away, the storm stops,
and the sea becomes calm.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage states that the gods of the sea are appeased after Ototachibana’s
leap.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Yamato Take reaches the opposite shore safely and later conquers the Eastern
Barbarians, identified in the passage as the Ainu.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Yamato Take attributes his safe landing to his wife’s faithful self-sacrifice
and continues to remember her.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: At the Usui Toge pass, Yamato Take looks toward the distant sea and cries
out for his wife; the passage links this cry to the place-name Azuma.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: In Omi, people are afraid because a mountain monster is said to raid villages
and devour people.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Yamato Take declares that he will go out and kill the monster.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: On Ibuki Mountain, a serpent appears in the path and Yamato Take kills it
by strangling it with his bare arms.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: After the serpent is killed, darkness and rain come over the mountain, and
Yamato Take later suffers burning pains in his feet, which he identifies as poisoning
from the serpent.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: Yamato Take is carried to hot mineral springs, bathes daily, and recovers
his strength.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: Yamato Take returns to the temples of Ise, where his aunt the priestess welcomes
him and gives thanks to Amaterasu for his preservation.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Princess Ototachibana
description: Yamato Take’s wife, who leaps into the sea and is remembered for unselfishness
and heroic death.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Prince Yamato Take
description: A prince and warrior who survives the sea crossing, conquers enemies,
mourns his wife, kills a serpent, recovers, and returns to Ise.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:8
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: gods of the sea
description: Divine beings described as appeased after Ototachibana enters the sea.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Eastern Barbarians / Ainu
description: A people whom Yamato Take is said to conquer after reaching the opposite
shore.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: people of Omi
description: Villagers living in fear because a mountain monster raids villages
and devours people.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: monster serpent
description: A serpent encountered on Ibuki Mountain, identified by Yamato Take
as the monster and killed by him.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: aunt, priestess of the Ise shrine
description: Yamato Take’s aunt, a priestess who had blessed him before the expedition
and welcomes him back.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Sun Goddess Amaterasu
description: An ancestress to whom thanks are returned for Yamato Take’s preservation.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: self-sacrificing wife
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She willingly gives her life in the sea, and the passage says Yamato Take
ascribes his safe landing to her faithfulness.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: warrior prince
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The passage emphasizes his prowess in war, conquest of enemies, and strength
in battle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: monster-slayer
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He goes to Ibuki Mountain to kill the monster and kills the serpent with
his hands.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:4
label: appeased sea deities
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The storm ceases and the passage states that the gods of the sea are appeased.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: conquered enemies
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Yamato Take succeeds in conquering the Eastern Barbarians, identified as
the Ainu.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: endangered community
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The people of Omi mourn and fear the monster’s attacks on villages.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: devouring mountain monster
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The mountain monster is said to devour villagers, and the serpent appears
where the monster is believed to live.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: role:8
label: shrine priestess and ritual welcomer
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: She is named as priestess of the shrine, welcomes Yamato Take back, and participates
in thanksgiving.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:9
label: protective ancestral goddess
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The passage calls Amaterasu their ancestress and says Yamato Take’s preservation
is ascribed to her protection.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sea and storm
literal_form: boisterous sea, waves, storm, and later calm water
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: distant sea of remembrance
literal_form: the distant sea seen from Usui Toge, where Ototachibana had given
her life
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: mountain pass and mountain
literal_form: Usui Toge and Ibuki Mountain
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: sym:4
label: serpent
literal_form: monster serpent blocking the path on Ibuki Mountain
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: sym:5
label: hot mineral springs
literal_form: hot mineral waters rising from the earth and heated by volcanic fires
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: Azuma place-name
literal_form: district name commemorating Yamato Take’s cry for his wife
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:7
label: Ise temples and shrine
literal_form: temples of Ise and shrine served by Yamato Take’s aunt
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:7
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Ototachibana enters the sea and the storm ends
summary: Ototachibana leaps into the sea, the waves carry her from sight, the storm
ceases, and the sea gods are described as appeased.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Safe landing, conquest, and remembrance
summary: Yamato Take lands safely, conquers the Eastern Barbarians, credits his
wife’s sacrifice, and later cries out toward the sea from Usui Toge.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Omi fears the mountain monster
summary: In Omi, Yamato Take learns that a mountain monster raids villages and devours
people, and he declares his intention to kill it.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:4
label: Serpent killed on Ibuki Mountain
summary: Yamato Take climbs Ibuki Mountain, encounters a serpent blocking the path,
kills it with his bare hands, and then experiences darkness, rain, and poisoning.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:5
label: Healing waters and return to Ise
summary: Yamato Take is taken to hot mineral springs, recovers through bathing,
and returns to Ise, where his aunt gives thanks to Amaterasu.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: self-sacrifice appeases dangerous sea
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: Ototachibana gives herself to the sea, after which the storm ceases and the
sea gods are appeased.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the event as effective divine appeasement, but does
not elaborate a formal ritual system.
- id: motif:2
label: hero’s safe passage through another’s sacrifice
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- departure
basis: Yamato Take reaches the opposite shore safely and later attributes this to
his wife’s willing sacrifice.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is a later English retelling and compresses causality into
narrative summary.
- id: motif:3
label: hero mourns sacrificed beloved and place-name preserves memory
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Yamato Take cries out for his wife from Usui Toge, and the passage says Azuma
commemorates his words and her death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The place-name explanation is given by the retelling; no linguistic comparison
is supplied in the passage.
- id: motif:4
label: warrior hero protects community by confronting a devouring monster
taxonomy_refs:
- culture_hero
basis: The people of Omi fear a monster that devours villagers, and Yamato Take
vows to kill it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the act as royal protection and heroic combat rather
than explicitly as a culture-founding deed.
- id: motif:5
label: serpent-slaying on a mountain path
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
basis: A serpent appears on Ibuki Mountain, blocks Yamato Take’s path, and is killed
by him with his bare hands.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The serpent is called a monster by implication in Yamato Take’s speech,
but the passage does not describe its origin.
- id: motif:6
label: poisoning by slain serpent followed by healing waters
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
basis: After killing the serpent, Yamato Take suffers burning pains identified as
poison and recovers by bathing in hot mineral springs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The passage states poisoning and recovery but gives little detail about
the mechanism of the serpent’s poison.
- id: motif:7
label: return to sacred shrine and thanksgiving to ancestral goddess
taxonomy_refs:
- return
- divine_parent_child
basis: After recovery, Yamato Take returns to Ise, is welcomed by his aunt the priestess,
and thanks are offered to the ancestral Sun Goddess Amaterasu for his preservation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The familial-divine relationship is described as ancestry, not direct
parent-child interaction.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The Ibuki episode can be cautiously compared to a serpent-slaying monster-combat
pattern, because a heroic warrior confronts and kills a serpent associated with
danger to a community.
claim_level: same_motif
target: serpent-slaying / monster-combat motif family
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage does not provide an external parallel or a detailed mythic
genealogy for the serpent; the hero is also harmed by poison after the victory.
- id: claim:2
claim: The sea episode can be cautiously compared to a sacrificial appeasement pattern,
because a person enters the sea and the storm stops while the sea gods are said
to be appeased.
claim_level: same_function
target: sacrifice that calms waters or appeases sea deities
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage narrates a single act of self-sacrifice and does not present
a repeated ritual rule or broader comparative evidence.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 6128-6134
quote_or_summary: Ototachibana leaps into the sea, disappears in the waves, the
storm ceases, the sea becomes calm, and the sea gods are said to be appeased.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 6135-6138
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take reaches the opposite shore safely and later conquers
the Eastern Barbarians, identified as the Ainu.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 6139-6145
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take ascribes his safe landing to his wife’s faithful sacrifice
and remembers her goodness and love.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 6146-6157
quote_or_summary: At Usui Toge, Yamato Take looks over the land toward the distant
sea, cries out for his wife, and the passage says Azuma commemorates his words
and her death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 6158-6162
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take has fulfilled his father’s orders, subdued rebels,
rid the land of robbers and enemies, and is renowned for strength in battle and
wisdom in council.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 6163-6174
quote_or_summary: In Omi, villagers mourn and fear a mountain monster that raids
villages and devours people, keeping men and women from ordinary work.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 6175-6184
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take says it is strange that a wicked monster near the
capital terrorizes the king’s subjects, and he declares that he will kill it at
once.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 6185-6194
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take goes to Ibuki Mountain, meets a serpent blocking the
path, decides he needs no sword, and strangles it with his bare arms.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 6195-6205
quote_or_summary: After the serpent dies, darkness and rain come over the mountain;
Yamato Take later feels ill with burning pains in his feet and knows the serpent
poisoned him. He is carried to hot mineral springs heated by volcanic fires.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 6206-6212
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take bathes daily in the hot waters, gradually regains
strength, loses the pains, and recovers fully.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 6213-6233
quote_or_summary: Yamato Take returns to the temples of Ise; his aunt, the shrine
priestess, welcomes him, hears his account, praises him, and gives thanks to the
ancestral Sun Goddess Amaterasu for his preservation.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is clear about main actions and figures. Motif labels are candidate
analytic groupings based only on the supplied text and available taxonomy references;
comparison claims are limited to broad motif/function patterns explicitly supported
by the passage.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage text and metadata. No external Japanese source traditions or alternate versions were consulted.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg__l6128-l6233
passage_sha256=7a96f547dce7e35d7aa891ed3c6a9b298fe04b31b6f4c4155b9237c7558a5da0