A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
One of fifteen attendants of the moon descends to the shore near Cape Miwo, attracted by its scenery. Her arrival carries flute music, fragrance and falling flowers. She removes her feathered suit and wings, hangs them on a pine and walks along the beach. A fisherman takes the garment and first refuses to return it, intending to dedicate it in a shrine as a heavenly relic.
The maiden explains that without it she cannot return home. The fisherman eventually agrees to restore it if she dances and plays for him, but suspects that she will flee once she has it. She asks him to trust a heavenly being’s promise. He gives it back, and she fulfils her agreement before rising into the air. His request that she remain with him is refused; the episode contains no marriage or children.
The villagers mark the pine and later build a shrine at the place associated with her descent. This closing explanation of a sacred site is the retelling’s claim, not an independent verification of the building’s origin. The removable wings belong to her feathered equipment; the text does not reveal an underlying bird body. Its moon attendant and shell-naming details are retained as features of this particular English witness.
Origins & earliest records
Japanese narrative in an English literary collection
Records & interpretation
Complete relevant chapters, endings and collection preface read.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-Lore of Japan
XXX, The Fisherman and the Moon-maiden, pp.264–272
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
William Elliot Griffis, Japanese Fairy World (1887 edition)
English literary collection. XXX, The Fisherman and the Moon-maiden, pp.264–272
Full relevant chapters and preface read. The villagers mark the pine and later build a shrine at the place associated with her descent. This closing explanation of a sacred site is the retelling’s claim, not an independent verification of the building’s origin. The removable wings belong to her feathered equipment; the text does not reveal an underlying bird body. Its moon attendant and shell-naming details are retained as features of this particular English witness.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical English literary retellingGriffis, Japanese Fairy World (1887), XXX, The Fisherman and the Moon-maiden, pp.264–272Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
