Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) Coloring Pages

"Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy)" is one of Japan's most famous folktales. It is a story about a boy who was born very small, just one inch (about 3 centimeters) tall. He goes to work in the capital city of Kyoto, fights an ogre, gets a magic hammer, and grows into a fine, strong adult.

Where the Story Comes From and Its Theme

People say that the story of Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) was already being told around the Muromachi period. Stories about someone small beating big troubles can be found in fairy tales all over the world, not just in Japan.

• Theme and Lesson: The themes of this story are "big courage in a small body" and "growing up through smart thinking and hard work." Even though Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) is small, he uses his quick mind and bold actions to beat one big trouble after another. In the end, he becomes a fine, handsome man. This teaches us that what is on the inside matters much more than how you look on the outside.
• The Magic Hammer: The magic hammer left by the ogre is a magical tool that grants wishes. It shows that all of Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy)'s hard work finally paid off.

The Story

Long, long ago, an old man and an old woman had no children. They prayed to God, "Please give us a child, no matter how small!" Soon after, a tiny boy was born who could fit right in the palm of your hand.

He was only one inch (about 3 centimeters) tall, so he was named Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy). Even as time went on, his body never grew bigger. So the old man gave him a sewing needle for a sword and a rice bowl for a boat.

Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) wanted to become a great person, so he went to the capital city of Kyoto and worked at a rich man's house. There, he became a helper for a beautiful princess.

One day, while out with the princess, Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) met a scary ogre. The ogre swallowed him in one single gulp! But Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) poked the ogre's tummy from the inside with his needle sword and hurt the ogre badly.

The hurting ogre spat Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) out and ran away, dropping his magic hammer on the ground.

Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) shook the hammer and wished, "Grow big, grow big!" At last, he became a fine young man and married the princess. Thanks to the treasures from the magic hammer, they all lived happily ever after.

When you do your coloring page, the trick is to show Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy)'s tiny size, the contrast with the ogre, and how cool his tools are!

How to color

• Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy):
  • Kimono: If you color it in bright light blue or red, everyone can see how brave he is, even with his tiny body!
  • Skin: Color it in light peach to make his round face and sharp eyes stand out.
• Items:
  • The needle sword: If you color it silver or gray with shiny highlights, even a tiny sword will look sharp!
  • The rice-bowl boat: Color it brown so you can see the wood grain. That makes it look like a simple wooden bowl. When you color the water it floats on, think about how the waves move!
• Ogre:
  • Body: Color it with strong colors (red, blue, or green) to make it look scary and super powerful.
  • Club: Color it with dark brown or gray to give it a bumpy texture. This makes it look heavy!

Colors for Special Items

• The Magic Mallet:
  • Magic mallet: Let's color it gold and make it look fancy! If you leave the rounded parts where the light hits white, it will look like a shiny treasure.
  • Light of the wish: When you shake the mallet, light spreads around it! Color it with magical colors like gold or rainbow to show that it is a magic tool.
• Princess:
  • Kimono: If you paint it in bright and beautiful colors (purple, pink, light blue) like Princess Kaguya, you can show her elegance.

Tips for enjoying your coloring page!

• Express yourself freely!
  • It will be so much fun to expand the story's world by drawing extra background details! You can add the river scene as Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) heads to Kyoto, or the dynamic scene where he runs wild inside the ogre's tummy. Express yourself freely!
• Have fun with contrasts!
  • If you use different shades and coloring styles to show the big size difference between little Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy) and the huge ogre, your picture will look even more exciting!