Japan Urashima Taro

tale:japan_urashima_taro

The fisherman Urashima Tarō rescues a tormented turtle and is borne beneath the sea to the Dragon Palace, where he passes what seems a few happy days. Returning home, he finds lifetimes have gone by and all he knew is dust; opening the forbidden box his host gave him, he releases the years he had escaped, and in an instant becomes an aged man. Moral: time cannot be cheated, and the forbidden box is best left shut. — Japanese folktale