Japanese folk tales are called, "mukashi banashi". They begin with a set phrase like, "Once upon a time (Mukashi Mukashi aru tokoro ni)". The characters of a "mukashi banashi" often include an old man and an old woman, or man with a name like Taro or Jiro. There are a few hundred stories that are considered standard Japanese folktales. Many Japanese grow up being very familiar with them. There was a popular TV series called, Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi, which is an animated version of famous folktales. After 10 years, no further news has been reported on this issue.