Man can learn much from myths. For example, one thing I learned from the myth of Sisyphus was never to name my kid Sisyphus.
Yet another message gleaned from that old-time rock 'n' roller is that stories and tales can often lend sense to the nonsense of daily life. It would seem, then, that an occasional fairy tale might put a little shine on the absurdities of life here in the "land of the writhing sun." With a respectful tip of a cockeyed hat to Jay Ward Productions, let's call such fictional forays "Flactured Fairy Tales."
Once upon a time there was a young Japanese lad named Joji, and his parents -- energetic examples of their efficient countrymen -- took it upon themselves to plan his entire life at birth.