Hi, it’s Junko from Japan! What does Jiraiya’s headband say? The Kanji symbol on his headband reads ABURA or YU, meaning “oil” in Japanese.
There’s no hidden village or Chakra nature that is related to oil in NARUTO. Then why Jiraiya has the weird oil symbol? The reason lies in Japanese culture!
The Oil Symbol Represents Mysterious Frogs
In the Edo era in Japan (approx. the 1600s to 1800s), there was a famous medicine called GAMA NO ABURA.
GAMA = frog
NO = of
ABURA = oil
When medicine merchants sell the frog oil, they cast unique poems and performed a show using a Japanese Katana sword.
The most famous performance is the one held in TSUKUBASAN (Mt. Tsukuba), and you can still see the frog oil show there. It’s regarded as a local traditional art, and here’s the actual picture. Several “oil” symbols printed on flags can be found!
According to the performance, the frog oil is made from mysterious frogs called SHIROKU NO GAMA, which literally means “frog of four and six.”
The Shiroku frogs believe they look cool. But when you put them inside the box made from mirrors, they’ll find their true appearances and eventually get sweaty in surprise. You can get the frog oil by boiling down the sweat.
Can I Get the Frog Oil?
Yes, the frog oil is still available as a kind of souvenir in some areas. It’s said the original one really included the ingredients from frogs, but the ones currently sold in Japan are nothing but ointment or moisture cream for Japanese legal reasons.
The photo shows the frog oil sold in Mt. Tsukuba!
I think Jiraiya has the oil symbol on his headband to show that he’s a fellow Ninja of the frog sages in Myobokuzan (Mt. Myoboku).
I’m not sure if younger generations know the frog oil and its performance. But at least for me who was in my 20s when the NARUTO manga started, the frog oil is familiar culture, and it’s easy to know Jiraiya’s headband is related to frogs.
The Origin of Jiraiya and Frogs’ Relationship
Did you know that the legendary three Ninjas come from a Japanese novel? Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru are the names of the novel characters issued in the Edo period.
Jiraiya is the main character who uses frog magic techniques. Tsunade is his wife and uses slugs and superhuman strength. They challenge the evil snake wizard Orochimaru. That’s exactly like the three Ninjas in the NARUTO world, right?
If you want to know about the original old novel, check out my other post below as well!
What’s the Last Name of JIRAIYA in NARUTO?
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What Does NARUTO Mean in Japanese? The True Meaning Behind the Name
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