Shark Man

by

Japanese Folktales: The Gratitude of the Samébito

The Samébito – AI image – zteve t evans

Lacadio Hearn

In his writing of Japanese culture, Lafcadio Hearn provided intriguing insights into an older mystical and mysterious culture that had been replaced by the country’s fast embrace of Westernisation into a modern industrialised nation. For the Japanese, his work was valued as a treasury of myths, legends, folktales, and traditional lore that might have disappeared with the country’s rapid modernisation. For Westerners, his writing provided a fascinating window into an ancient, distant, exotic land. A land populated by strange and frightening ghosts, spirits, and supernatural beings invented by a vastly different mindset that reflected the people’s and the ruling classes’ daily struggles, victories, hopes and fears. The following offering is a retelling of “The Gratitude of the Samébito” from his book, “Shadowings,” a compilation of traditional Japanese folklore and stories.

The Gratitude of the Samébito

Life is transient. Cherry blossom fades, returning each spring. Tawaraya Tōtarō was a humble young man whose greatest ambition was to find and marry a beautiful woman he loved, and she, him, and continue their evolutionary journey together. By this, he meant he was searching for his soulmate – the Beautiful One – with whom he had shared former lives.

His idea of beauty differed from a society with very fixed opinions of the perfect face and body men and woman should possess. He had met many physically stunningly attractive women – and indeed – the world seemed full of them. As beautiful as they were, frustratingly for him, he had not yet found the soul mate he yearned for by the time he reached twenty-nine.

His family looked at him disapprovingly, and he wondered if his hopes were not overly ambitious and if he should marry the first lovely maiden who accepted his proposal and live a life of pretence. Most females in his society would consider him a good catch, being rather handsome and athletic and of the most excellent character. More importantly, although not excessively wealthy, he lived in considerable comfort on a small but attractive estate on Lake Biwa’s shore, near the famous temple of Ishiyamadera in the Province of Ōmi. By the social conventions of his day, he could be considered a good marriage prospect for most young women. Nevertheless, despite his shame and sorrow and the insensitive disapproval of society, he remained unmarried, keeping faithful to his heart’s desire.

At times, he questioned whether his expectations were too high, if he had any flaws, or if he was unlucky in love. He often felt lonely and longed for his Beautiful One, and his days grew gloomier, longer, and harder to endure. He considered lowering his ambitions to find a wife, but deep down, he knew that would not bring him happiness. Therefore, he persevered in his quest to find and reunite with his soul mate.

A Strange Encounter on the Bridge

One day, as he was strolling over the Long Bridge of Séta, he encountered someone very unusual whose likes he had never seen before. This individual had an unnatural appearance and was crouching beside one of the parapets on the bridge. Tōtarō saw that although its body, arms and legs were vaguely human, its head was more like that of a shark a small neck connecting it to the body. Its skin was of a smooth and unblemished with no visble hair on head or body. Depending on how the light fell, from the top of its head and down along its back it could take on a very dark greenish, or even bluish hue or even the deepest, darkest purple. Its face was pale and inhuman and shark-like, but with a peculiar, unique elegance, and its chest was also pale and reddish in places. It possessed a broad but sensitively formed mouth and eyes that were intelligent, bright, and lit by a greenish fire at times.

The Long Bridge of Séta by Utagawa Hiroshige, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

For all its unworldly and, some might think, demonic appearance, it exuded gentleness and intelligence. Yet the pitiful thing looked in a sorry state – disorientated, hungry, exhausted – alone in the world and lost. This unexpected encounter shook Tōtarō. He had never seen anyone like him before, could not believe his eyes, and wondered if he was seeing things. Nevertheless, despite his shock, his natural kindness and curiosity got the better of him. He hated seeing any living thing in distress, so he tried to communicate by talking soothingly and asking gentle questions.

To begin with, this odd, miserable, individual refused to respond, remaining slumped against the parapet, staring at him glumly with its huge emerald eyes, looking tired and out of place. With gentle patience, Tōtarō persisted, and eventually, the creature reacted,

“As you persist in asking and do not seem threatening, I will talk to you. Despite your disbelieving eyes, I will confirm I am real, though I am not of your kind, never have been, and never will be. I am a Shark-Man – a Samébito of the deep sea. Only a brief time ago, I was a low-ranking officer serving in the Dragon Palace of the Eight Great Dragon Kings. Alas, Thanks to a small mistake I made, I was discharged from the Palace and banished from the sea. Thus, homeless and forsaken by my kind and unable to remain in the sea, I wandered onto the land to search for a pool or lake to live in. Eventually, I found my way to this bridge where we now meet. Alas, I am famished, exhausted, and lost. You seem compassionate, so if you pity me, I beg you to help me find food and shelter. In return, I will bestow upon you my exceptional gratitude!”

The creature was so unhappy and pathetic that despite its strange and unworldly appearance, Tōtarō, deeply touched by its plight, replied,

“Very well, I will help you if I can. At the bottom of my garden there is pond that I think will be big enough and deep enough for you to live in comfortably. If you like, you can reside there, and every day, I shall bring you the food of your liking.”

The strange creature seemed genuinely pleased and grateful and followed him home. When Tōtarō showed him the pond, he happily accepted the offer and made it his home. Every day, just as he had promised, Tōtarō brought him food, and they soon struck up a deep friendship.

For the next six months, the Samébito dwelt happily in the pond thanks to the generosity of Tōtarō, who began to think of the outlandish creature differently, no longer regarding him as a bizarre, inhuman creature. Instead, he saw an unfortunate victim of a heartless king and uncaring society, savagely banished from his own kind to wander alone and friendless, an outsider in an alien world he could never be a part of or understand, all for a single misdemeanour.

Moreover, despite his ungainly appearance, Tōtarō saw in him the best human qualities, such as empathy, kindness, and sensitivity, blended with intelligence, honesty, and loyalty. He began to regard him as a valued and trusted human friend and companion, enjoying engaging conversations and his excellent company more each day.

The Nyonin-Mōdé Pilgrimage

Evening Bell at Miidera Temple by Utagawa Hiroshige, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In this pleasant way, Tōtarō passed his time. Eventually, he realised it was the time of year for the Nyonin-Mōdé pilgrimage of females to the celebrated Buddhist temple of Miidera in the neighbouring town of Ōtsu.

 It is true that wherever single young maidens gather, single young men are never far away, and Tōtarō decided he would visit. This was purely in the pretence of looking for a wife to please social opinion rather than expecting to find his Beautiful One – the soulmate his heart so desperately yearned to be reunited with. The one he had met in previous lives and with whom he hoped to share the remainder of his present life and those after.

Many pretty women were there, but he was only attracted to one. She lacked the attributes that society recognised as physical beauty, and received no attention from the other young men who were intent on searching for a bride that would display their superior manliness to the world.

She caught Tōtarō’s attention not so much for her physical attractiveness, which, in his eyes alone, was unsurpassed, but also for her poise, demeanour and the goodness of her nature. Indeed, in his eyes, she appeared as pure as newly fallen snow, and from her lovely lips sang a voice as sweet and musical as a nightingale singing in a plum tree under the moon. But more importantly, he experienced an invisible attraction and sense of belonging that he found difficult to articulate, and he knew she was the One.

He followed her at a respectful distance to find out where she was staying and discovered she and her mother had taken a house for a few days in the next village of Séta. Furthermore, by making discreet inquiries, he found her name was Tamana, and his hopes rose to learn she was unmarried and had not pledged herself to anyone.

However, hope turned to disappointment when he heard that her parents had a condition for her marriage. They wanted her to marry someone who belonged to a similar or higher social status and was wealthy enough to provide a casket of ten thousand precious gems as a betrothal gift. In those times in old Japan, ten thousand gems were hard to find, and only a few of the wealthiest princes and the emperor had the means to provide such dowry, which is why her parents demanded it.

Tōtarō was hugely disappointed and thoroughly downhearted. In his eyes, she was worth far more than her parents demanded. He would have gladly given all the precious gems in the world if only they had been his to reunite with his Beautiful One, but it was entirely beyond his means.

A Hopeless Situation

The more he contemplated the hopelessness of the situation, the deeper he fell into depression. But the more he dwelt on the injustice of it all, the greater his desire for his Beautiful One grew, and soon, he could not banish her from his mind. He saw her lovely smiling face and dark, beautiful eyes everywhere he looked, day or night. She seemed so near, yet so far, and he could not stop thinking about her, not even for an hour.

He longed to see her lovely face, hear her voice, talk to her, smell her fragrance, taste her lips, and hold her close to his heart for all eternity. In this haunted way, he spent every hour day and night unable to eat, drink, or sleep. Becoming steadily weaker, he took to his bed, and there remained, refusing all bodily nourishment. At last, he sent for a doctor who gave him a thorough physical examination and closely questioned him about his state of mind.

Tōtarō held nothing back and bared his soul about his love and the impossibility of being able to provide the betrothal gift. After listening closely, the doctor diagnosed him to be suffering from lovesickness and gravely advised that while there were cures for most ailments and diseases of the body, this condition was beyond the skill of any physician to cure. The only hope for those afflicted was if the one who was the focus of their affection returned their affections in kind, but adding, from what he had told him, he advised he should prepare himself for death. Unable to do anything else for Tōtarō and with no medication, or further advice, to give him, he left him to confront his destiny.

The Tears of the Samébito

The Samébito residing in the pond learned about his friend and benefactor’s illness and visited him at his bedside. Despite not knowing the cause of the sickness or the doctor’s diagnosis, he stayed by his friend’s side, nursing him day and night. However, after devotedly tending to his benefactor for a week, the patient, thinking his time was drawing near, spoke to him from his heart,

“I know we are vastly different beings, at least on the outside, but I have enjoyed providing for you and having you reside in my pond. Despite our differences, I feel closer to you than any man I have ever known. I often wondered if we formed some friendly relationship in one of our former lives. However, as you can see, I succumb to my illness and grow weaker daily. Life is transient. Cherry blossom fades, returning each spring.

It is for you, my friend, about which I am now worried. Your most diligent tending of me in my sick bed has repaid any debt you owed me for my care and your residence in my pond. But I worry now about who will care for you when I have gone. Alas, is it not so that in this bitter world, our hopes and dreams for happiness and security are always disappointed.”

The Samébito, hearing these words, uttered a terrible, unearthly cry of pain. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes and down his face, but they were not human tears. They were the tears of a Shark Man. He wept tears of blood that flowed from his sea-green eyes and rolled down his sable face to turn into beautiful rubies when they hit the floor, and each gem shone with a blood-red fire like the setting sun. This is how the Samébito – the Shark-Men of the sea – grieve. They weep seldom, but when they do, it is only through genuine sorrow drawn from the depths of their soul, and that is why each tear is more precious than a gem.

As Tōtarō gazed at the pile of blood-red gems on the floor, he felt a surge of amazement and joy. His health and vitality instantly returned, prompting him to leap out of bed and begin picking up and counting the priceless tears of the Shark-Man. Excitedly, he cried,

“I’m going to live after all!”

Amazed at his friend’s sudden recovery, the weeping Shark-Man asked how this had transpired. Tōtarō shared the story of his beloved from past lives and expressed his firm belief that he had found her once more at the Miidera pilgrimage, reigniting his love for her. He explained how her parents had effectively placed the marriage of their daughter beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest suitors in the land by demanding a casket of ten thousand precious gems as a wedding gift. Believing he could never afford such a valuable present, he had fallen ill, pining for what was beyond his reach, but now he told his friend excitedly,

“I never thought I could offer such a valuable gift, but your generosity has given me more precious stones than I could have ever dreamed of. Although there is still a shortage, I believe we can obtain more with your assistance, my dear friend. I would appreciate it if you could continue to shed tears until I have enough gems to provide her parents the required wedding gift.”

But the Samébito was confounded and disappointed by the request and bitterly reproached him,

“Tōtarō, my best of friends and great benefactor, to whom I owe so much. Do you think I am some conjurer who magically produces precious jewels from his eyes whenever someone wants riches?

Conjurors perform for money, pulling items from their sleeves where they been have previously stashed. My tears spontaneously formed in the deepest part of my heart, coming from genuine sorrow when I believed you to be dying. Now you tell me you are miraculously cured!

I am baffled, but my heart feels relief and happiness, and therefore, I cannot weep for you, though I would if I could if it helped provide your heart’s desire. Conjurors find it easy to perform for money, but Shark Men cannot do that without experiencing genuine sorrow.”

Tōtarō, heard is friend, and felt deeply for him, and did not want him to suffer for his the sake and asked miserably,

“Then whatever shall I do? Unless I find ten thousand precious gems from somewhere, I will not be able to marry my beloved and will surely die of grief, yet I cannot ask you to endure such pain from my happiness.”

They both fell silent, contemplating the problem. At last, the Samébito spoke,

“I really want to help, but I have wept enough today and cannot weep further. But tomorrow, if you wish, we could pack a lunch of fish and wine and go to the Long Bridge of Séta, where we met. We can sit looking over the water, enjoy the food and drink, and I can look towards the Dragon Palace while reflecting on the cherished memories of my life there. Those were joyful days, and I miss them. I long to be back home. With these sad thoughts and the wine, I am sure tears will flow from my eyes from my breaking heart enough to fulfil your needs, and you will experience the gratitude of the Samébito.”

Tōtarō happily agreed to this proposal. Therefore, the following day, he prepared a packed lunch of fish and wine, and the two of them went to the Long Bridge of Séta, sat down, ate the fish, and drank the wine together. As the Samébito gazed over the water towards the Dragon Palace, he felt a sense of longing and sadness. Wistfully, he remembered his past life and the joyful times he had spent serving the king. Tears welled up in his eyes as he reminisced.

From the Heart of the Samébito

His heart softened as the wine seeped into his emotions, and he began yearning for old times. Memories of the agony and suffering he endured during his exile came flooding back to him. Tears filled his eyes, and red drops rolled down his face, transforming into painful, precious ruby gems as they fell to the ground and hardened. Tōtarō swiftly collected the items and proceeded to count them. The tears of the homesick Samébito rolled down his face until Tōtarō gave a triumphant shout, announcing the ten thousandth precious gem.

Suddenly, from the far side of the lake, beautiful music floated towards them on the water; ethereal in quality, it formed a vision of a pure white cloud in the shape of the Dragon Palace under the crimson sky of the setting sun. With pure delight, the Samébito leapt up and bounded onto the parapet, eagerly scanning further across the expansive lake. His sorrowful tears quickly transformed into tears of boundless joy and exuberant laughter, causing him to shout with exhilaration to his companion.

“It appears there has been an amnesty for offenders, and the Kings of the Dragon Realm are summoning us home, and I must obey their call. Despite my joy at being forgiven and recalled, it is with a heavy heart that I bid you farewell. I want you to know that I am profoundly grateful and feel incredibly blessed that you chose to extend your friendship and care to me. We shall meet again in other lives and renew our companionship as we evolve to higher ways, but until then, be sure that the gratitude of the Samébito is steadily unfolding!”

Jumping down from the parapet, he fondly embraced Tōtarō. Then, he turned and, with a single bound, leapt back on the parapet, dived into the water, and was never seen on land again. Although saddened at the loss of his friend, and thanks only to that same friend’s gratitude, Tōtarō now had a full casket of precious red rubies, which he presented to the parents of his beloved and gained their permission to marry his Beautiful One. Reunited once again, they spent many happy years together before taking the long road to Yomi together, hand in hand and Tawaraya Tōtarō was ever grateful for the gratitude of the Samébito, but life is transient. Cherry blossom fades, returning each spring.

The End

© 20/05/2025 zteve t evans

References, Attributions and Further Reading

Copyright May 20th, 2025 zteve t evans