1.
Issun-bōshi; the One-Inch Boy
A character from a famous Japanese folk tale — a tiny boy the size of one sun (about 3 cm) who goes on adventures and eventually grows to full size after defeating an ogre.
2.
a very small person; a tiny person
Used figuratively to refer to someone extremely short or small in stature.
The name literally means "one-sun monk/boy," where 一寸 is an old unit of measurement equal to about 3.03 centimeters, and 法師 means a Buddhist monk or, in folk tales, a boy or small person.
The tale is part of the 御伽草子 collection from the Muromachi period. In the story, an elderly childless couple prays for a child and receives a boy no bigger than a thumb. Despite his size, he travels to the capital, serves a noble family, defeats an 鬼 (ogre), and obtains the 打ち出の小槌 (magic mallet), which grants his wish to become full-sized. The story is often compared to Western tales like Tom Thumb.
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Related:
昔話 (folk tale)