  KAPPA River Imp (Shinto)
One of the Suijin (water kami) of Shinto mythology. Suijin are found near irrigation waterways, in lakes, ponds, springs and wells. They can be depicted as a serpent, an eel, a fish, or a kappa. According to the Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics (Kokugakuin University), women have played an important role in the history of Suijin worship in Japan.
KAPPA LORE Kappa smell like fish and are generally portrayed with the body of a tortoise, ape-like head, scaly limbs, long hair circling the skull, webbed feet and hands, and yellow-green skin. They are often depicted with a tortoise shell attached to their backs.
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Image by <PANIC> email gcb01334@nifty serve.or.jp.
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The defining characteristic of the Kappa is the hollow cavity atop its head. This saucer-like depression holds a strength-giving fluid. Should you chance upon the quarrelsome Kappa, please remember to bow deeply. If the courteous Kappa bows in return, it will spill its strength-giving water, making it feeble, and forcing it to return to its water kingdom.
Kappa are mostly evil, but not always. When benevolent, the Kappa is supposedly a skilled teacher in the art of bone setting and other medical skills. In the real world of medicine, the term "kappa" refers to a monoclonal plasma cell related to bone marrow. (Note: Not yet able to confirm Kappa's bone-setting skills; but sounds very plausible, as most Shinto "kami" have some redeeming qualities; the true origins of Kappa are vague; why the tortoise connection?)
About the size of a child aged 6 to 10, the Kappa is nonetheless incredibly strong. It attacks horses, cattle, and humans, and feeds on their blood. Stories tell of Kappa pulling little children into the water and drowning them. As drowning victims were sometimes found with a distended anus (swollen rectal), the Kappa became identified as the shirokodama (anus) vampire and is said to suck blood through its anus. In other traditions, the Kappa doesn't suck blood, but rather drains people of their life force. Other activities associated with the Kappa are theft, raping women, and eating human livers.
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Mask of Onna Kappa (Female Kappa) by artist Ryoji Otsuka
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PICKING FIGHTS, SUMO, & CUCUMBERS The chief delight of the quarrelsome Kappa is to challenge humans to single combat. Indeed, the Kappa delights in Japanese Sumo wrestling, and often challenges its victim to a sumo bout.
Kappa folk have a liking for cucumbers, a weakness that can be used to human advantage. According to one tale, an offering of cucumbers (on which are etched the name/age of family members) is enough to appease the Kappa, who thereafter will refrain from harming you and your family (need to find source for this). Even today, cucumber sushi in Japan is called "Kappa-maki".
Today the Kappa appears quite regularly in fiction, children's animation (Urusei Yatsura, Tenchi Universe), toys and art. Many modern statues of the Kappa depict it as cute cartoon-like character.
BAKEMONO Bakemono is the Japanese term for spirits with evil powers, including the kappa, tengu, fox, and yamanba (or yama-uba; mountain witch). Bakemono are mostly evil, but sometimes they help or mentor worthy humans or those who outwit them. Some say the kappa is of Ainu origin; some that it descended from a race of wise monkeys (need to confirm this; why the tortoise shape? is Kappa a mix between monkey and turtle? face often looks duck-like too !).
KAWAKO The Kappa is sometimes called Kawako (literally "river child"). The name can be traced to Kawako-no-miya (Shrine of the Kawako), located on the bank of the Kawachi river near Matsue/Izumo. Legend relates that a nasty Kappa was captured near here and forced to sign a note swearing never again to harm any of the people or animals in the area. Unable to write, the Kappa dipped its hand in the ink and pressed it on the document. The document remained among the shrine's relics, and the Kappa never broke the promise (the Kappa is always portrayed as trustworthy and courteous despite its many evil ways).
HOW GENTA SUBDUED A KAPPA: The following myth has been passed down through the ages in Saga Prefecture. It was translated by Keiko Takada and Eriko Tsudo of Saga Women's Junior College, and appears on the Saga Pref.Government site at: www.pref.saga.jp/soumu/kokusai/sagasaga/archives/sagasaga9809.htm
Once upon a time in the village of Kawachino there lived a man named Genta. He was from a distinguished family in the village and was so wise and brave that he was greatly respected by the villagers. His house was large and stood near a river which flowed through the village. The river was at its deepest at the bend near his house, and the water looked dark and unfathomable, being over six meters deep.
One summer evening, Genta came back from his outing and told his servants as usual to hitch his horse to a shady tree near the river. After taking a short rest, Genta stepped out into the garden and looked at the tree. To his surprise, a kappa, the size of a 6-7 year old boy was dragging the horse by its hind legs into the river. The silent horse was resisting the pull with its forelegs while strangely enough, the servant as if in a trance, was helping the small kappa by pouring water into the cavity on the kappa's head. The more the servant poured, the more powerful the kappa became.
Although Genta became very angry watching this scene, he had the presence of mind to think of a plan. From the shed he fetched a strong rope made of hemp palm and snuck up to the kappa from behind. Neither the servant nor the kappa noticed Genta's actions. He quickly caught hold of the kappa and dragged him away from the river, tying him up with the rope.

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Shirafuji Genta Punishing a Kappa Woodblock by Utagawa Kunisada Shirafuji Genta, a famous sumo wrestler, has captured a kappa
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All of a sudden, the servant came out of his trance and followed his master's direction to hang the kappa upside down from the pine tree in the garden. Genta glared at the wicked water imp and reprimanded him. "What an insolent fellow you are! You take so much pride in your bit of supernatural powers and even try to steal horses from humans. You are very sinful indeed. I shall kill you as a warning to all of your fellow kappas."
With the precious water drained from his cavity, the kappa lost all his magic powers. The more he struggled, the tighter the rope cut into his flesh, making the pain even harder to bear. At last the kappa began to cry in a strange, harsh voice "please forgive me for mercy's sake my lord," he implored. "I'll not fail to make up for this crime, so please let me go." In tears, the the kappa begged Genta over and over again.
A kind hearted man by nature, Genta felt pity for the ugly creature who was crying. "If you swear with all your heart, I'll forgive you," he said to the kappa "but first, you must confess your sins and make restitutions."
"I confess to you that I've done many wrongs," the kappa said. "I regret my past actions very much. Your authority is astonishing, so I promise you that even if the Kawachino River should flow upstream, I won't pull the people from this village into the water. Never will I do anything wrong again. Please spare my life today. I also promise to make all my fellow kappas keep this oath forever."
After the kappa swore his oath, Genta forgave him, took him down from the pine tree and untied the ropes. Placing both hands to the ground, the teary blue-eyed kappa bowed to him again and again. Then he asked Genta if he could go home to the bottom of the river.
"All right," Genta said, "but before you go, turn yourself around three times and recite your oath each time." The kappa obediently turned around 3 times, each time reciting his oath loudly. Kneeling down, he praised Genta, then went away.
After that incident, no more was to be heard of kappas in the village. Years later, Genta passed away, leaving behind the legend of subduing the kappas. The pine tree from which Genta hung the kappa, remained long after his death. Eventually however, the old pine tree too withered and died.
Whether the mystical kappa does in fact exist is still unknown. There is a sake manufacturing place in Imari called "Matsuura Ichishuzo" where, it is said that during restoration about 40 years ago, a small coffin was found between old boards containing a mummified kappa inside. The skeleton remains on display today for all who are interested in finding the truth.
 Modern-day drawing of Kappa society from book for children
 Giant Kappa statue near Tanukimachi Station 田主丸駅舎 Tanuki Machi Station, Fukuoka Prefecture
  Stone statues near Tanukimachi Station In modern times, the Kappa often appear as cartoon characters
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