@inproceedings{oai:kokubunken.repo.nii.ac.jp:00002648,
 author = {厳, 紹璗 and Yan, Shao-dang},
 book = {国際日本文学研究集会会議録, PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JAPANESE LITERATURE},
 issue = {25},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {pdf, Around the eighth century (Nara period), Urashimako-den appeared in the treasure house of ancient Japanese literature.
The texts which remain to this day are from three sources. Those are Kojidan, Gunshoruiju, and Shoku Nihongi. Previous to these texts the story can be found in the Man'yôshu as Mizunoe-no Urashimako and in the entry for the 22nd year of the Emperor Yûryaku in the Nihonshoki. Later, Zoku Urashimako-denki (The Continued Tale of the Urashima Boy) also appears. From these varied texts, a seeming “Urashima Literature System” was created in ancient Japanese literature (Of course, following these, numerous “Urashima Boy” stories were created, for example as otogizôshi, kibyôhi, yomihon, ehon, etc.. However, for this presentation, these works will not be covered.).
From the perspective of the study of the origins of Japanese literature, Mizunoe-no Urashimako and the entry for the 22nd year of the Emperor Yûryaku look to be the most primitive form of the Urashima Legend, and point to the origins of the Japanese epic (ko-monogatari). Consequentially, following the development of Zoku Urashimako-denki and a group of Chinese (Kanbun) works from roughly the same period such as Shashisen-den, Yûjo-ki, and Kairaishi-ki, “precedent” ko-monogatari works (such as Taketori Monogatari) began to be made. However the Urashima Boy stories recorded in Kojidan, Gunshoruijû and Shoku Nihongi present a middle stage of development from a legend to a narrative story. They play an important role as a bridge between a primitive legend and an authored work.
The three levels presented in this “Urashima Literature System” may provide indicators as to the beginnings of epic literature in Japan.
Also, through the appearance of the turtle, Mount Hôrai, and the jeweled box in the texts of the “Urashima Literature System” the overall atmosphere of the story takes shape, augmenting the story with mysterious and romantic qualities. However, what is most important is the strong presence of a complicated cultural context presented in the development of the story from the Urashima Legend to Urashimako-den through the telling of the reverence for the turtle, infatuation with Mount Hôrai, and the temptation of the jeweled box. Therein can be found both traditional as well as numerous imported ideas. These ko-monogatari works were formed through this kind of intermixing of both the traditional ethnic culture in Japan with these kinds of international and cultural elements, beyond which the commonality of humanity can be seen. From this it can be said that the “Urashima Literature System” demonstrates the qualities of openness and cosmopolitanism in the early developmental period of Japanese epic literature.},
 pages = {1--22},
 publisher = {国文学研究資料館},
 title = {講演　「浦島伝説」から「浦島子伝」への発展について　―亀と蓬莱山と玉手箱についての文化学的解読―},
 year = {2002},
 yomi = {イェン, ショダン}
}