Urashima

Once, long ago, a fisherman by the name of Urashima took his boat out to sea where he catches a gigantic turtle who turns out to be a beautiful immortal named Eshun. Because Urashima spared her life when he thought she was just a turtle, Eshun leads him to the island of the immortals. He is entranced by the fantastic beauty of the place. Urashima falls in love with Esun and decides to live with her in paradise. But as time wears on, he misses his home and decides to return for a visit. To his horror, he discovers that hundreds of years have passed and the world he knew has vanished.

Published in Three Japanese Ghost Stories.

Urashima was commissioned by and premiered at the Cleveland Contemporary Art Museum under the title Leonardo Haiku for an exhibit by Mineko Grimer. The play was subsequently performed at Project Istropolitana, an international theatre festival in Bratislava, Slovakia. The play was rewritten for inclusion in Three Japanese Ghost Stories, which premiered at The Cleveland Play House.