Kintarou

Kintarou (金太郎 Kintarō) is a Japanese legend about a boy with incredible strength who later grew up to become a warrior. Kintarou is a popular forklore hero in Japan. Many parents will give Kintarou figures to their sons, hoping their sons will become as strong and brave as Kintarou.

Story

Kintarou was a very strong even when he was still a baby, he lived in the mountains with his mother. His mother made him a red haragake with the kanji "gold" (金 Kin) on it. He often wore the haragake and brought his axe with him when he went outside to play. He made friends with the animals in the forests, and they often played sumo together. No one can ever beat Kintarou. A bear that was very proud of its strength once challenged Kintarou to a match. The bear launched at him, but Kintarou easily grabbed and threw the bear onto the ground.

One day, Kotarou and his animal friends reached a cliff overlooking a large river. There was no bridge to go across. The bear tried to knock over a tree to make a bridge, but was unable to do so. When it's Kintarou's turn, he easily uprooted the tree and placed it across the cliff. A samurai passing by saw the scene and was impressed by Kintarou's strength. He invited Kintarou to became one of his retainers　and to train under him in Kyoto.

After getting consent from his mother, Kintarou left for Kyoto. He served under the samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu (源頼光). As he grew up, he renamed himself Sakata no Kintoki (坂田金時) and trained hard to improve his fighting skills and strengh. Eventually, he became a powerful warrior and defeated an Orge in the Oeyama Mountain (大江山 Ōeyama). He went back for his mother in the forests, and they lived happily ever after.