Gyokuto Yokai

FolktaleWeek- Moon
Gyokuto Yokai

In Japanese folklore there is a yokai- Jade Rabbit, Gyokuto, a form of mystical hare who inhabits the moon and mashes ingredients for mochi, a traditional rice-flour cake.
The story goes like this: A fox, a monkey and a rabbit were traveling in the mountains. They found an old man lying along the road, he was exhausted.The three animals tried to save him, the monkey gave him some fruits, the fox brought some fish from the river. But the rabbit couldn't collect anything. He came out with an idea, he asked the fox and the monkey to help him light a fire. When the flames were big enough, he jumped into them. He had sacrificed himself for the sake of the old man's life, he was cooked and eaten by him. For this glorious act, resulting from compassion, the old man rewarded a rabbit. He revealed his true form as Taishakuten, one of the lords of heaven. He lifted the rabbit and placed it on the moon so that all future generations could be inspired by the rabbit's compassionate act.