Kappa (mythical Creature)
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In traditional
Japanese folklore Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, Tradition, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The Folklor ...
a —also known as , , with a boss called or —is a reptiloid with similarities to . can become harmful when not respected as
gods A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
. Accounts typically depict them as green, human-like beings with webbed hands and feet and
turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
-like carapaces on their backs. A depression on the head, called a "dish" (), retains water, and if this is damaged or its liquid is lost (either through spilling or drying up), a becomes severely weakened. The favor
cucumbers The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.sumo-wrestling. They are often accused of assaulting humans in water and removing a mythical organ called the from their victim's
anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...
.


Terminology

The name ''kappa'' is a contraction of the words ''kawa'' (river) and , a variant form of (also ) "child". Another translation of kappa is "water-sprite". The ''kappa'' are also known regionally by at least eighty other names such as , , , , , ., citing Ōno (1994), p. 14 It is also called 'otter', 'soft-shelled turtle', and 'monkey', suggesting it outwardly resembles these animals. The name ''komahiki'' or "steed-puller" alludes to its reputed penchant to drag away horses. The kappa has been known as in Izumo (
Shimane Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...
) where
Lafcadio Hearn was a Greek-born Irish and Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the Western world. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collections of legend ...
was based, and was the familiar name of it to folklorist
Kunio Yanagita was a Japanese author, scholar, and Folklore studies, folklorist. He began his career as a bureaucrat, but developed an interest in rural Japan and its folk traditions. This led to a change in his career. His pursuit of this led to his eventual e ...
from
Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...
.


Appearance

''Kappa'' are said to be roughly humanoid in form and about the size of a child, inhabiting the
pond A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression (geology), depression, either naturally or artificiality, artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing ...
s and
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
s of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. Clumsy on land, they are at home in the water, and thrive during the warm months. They are typically greenish in color (or yellow-blue), and either scaly or slimy skinned, with webbed hands and feet, and a
turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
-like
carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...
on their back. Inhuman traits include three anuses that allow them to pass three times as much gas as humans. Despite their small stature, they are physically stronger than a grown man. The ''kappa'' are sometimes said to smell like
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
, and they can swim like them. While potentially dangerous and mischievous, they are said to be very honourable, always keeping promises and being highly intelligent. According to some accounts, a ''kappa's'' arms are connected to each other through the torso and can slide from one side to the other. While they are primarily water creatures, they do on occasion venture onto land. They have a dish in their head which must be filled with water at all times. When they venture on land, the "dish" on their head can be covered with a metal cap for protection. If the water spills, the Kappa can be easily overcome. A hairy ''kappa'' is called a . File:Illustrated Guide to 12 Types of Kappa.jpg, A book illustrating twelve kinds of kappa File:Hokusai kappa.jpg, A kappa by
Katsushika Hokusai , known mononymously as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. His woodblock print series '' Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji'' includes the iconic print ''The Great Wave off Kanagawa''. Ho ...
File:Utamaro (1788) Utamakura print No. 01 (BM, cropped).jpg, A ''kappa'' has sex at a river underwater, while a woman is watching and smiling in a print from
Utamaro was a Japanese artist. He is one of the most highly regarded designers of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings, and is best known for his ''Bijin-ga, bijin ōkubi-e'' "large-headed pictures of beautiful women" of the 1790s. He also produ ...
's ''
Utamakura is a rhetorical concept in Japanese poetry. Definition is a category of poetic words, often involving place names, that allow for greater allusions and intertextuality across Japanese poems. enables poets to express ideas and themes concise ...
'' File:Kappastatues.JPG, Paired male and female ''kappa'' statues at the Sogenji Buddhist shrine at the
Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known for Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as . History The development of Asaku ...
district in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...


Behavior

''Kappa'' are usually seen as kami of the
water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
. Their actions range from comparatively minor misdemeanors, such as looking up women's
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...
if they venture too near to water, to outright malevolence, such as drowning people and animals, kidnapping children, raping women and at times eating human flesh. Though sometimes menacing, they may also behave amicably towards humans. While younger kappa are frequently found in family groups, adult kappa live solitary lives. However, it is common for kappa to befriend other yōkai and sometimes even people.


Cucumber

Folk beliefs claim the
cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...
, ''
soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") are Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour, with a small amount of wheat flour mixed in. It has an ashen brown color, and a slightly grainy texture. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sau ...
'' (buckwheat noodles), ''
nattō is a traditional Japanese cuisine, Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been Fermentation in food processing, fermented with Bacillus subtilis, ''Bacillus subtilis'' var. ''natto''. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. ...
'' (fermented soybeans), or ''
kabocha Kabocha (; from Japanese language, Japanese , ) is a type of winter squash, a Japanese variety of the species ''Cucurbita maxima.'' It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America. In Japan, "''kabocha''" may refer to eithe ...
'' (Japanese pumpkin). In Edo (old Tokyo), there used to be a tradition where people would write the names of their family members on cucumbers and send them afloat into the streams to mollify the ''kappa'' and prevent the family from coming to harm in the streams. In some regions, it was customary to eat cucumbers before swimming as protection, but in others it was believed that this act would guarantee an attack. A cucumber-filled
sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...
roll is known as a '' kappamaki''.


As a menace

As water monsters, ''kappa'' have been blamed for drownings, and are often said to try to lure people into water and pull them in with their great skill at
wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
. They are sometimes said to take their victims for the purpose of drinking their blood, eating their livers, or gaining power by taking their , a mythical ball said to contain the soul, which is located inside the anus. ''Kappa'' have been used to warn children of the dangers lurking in rivers and lakes, as ''kappa'' have been often said to try to lure people to water and pull them in. ''Kappa'' are also said to victimize animals, especially horses and cows. The motif of the ''kappa'' trying to drown a horse is found all over Japan.
Lafcadio Hearn was a Greek-born Irish and Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the Western world. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collections of legend ...
wrote of a story in Kawachimura near
Matsue is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. , the city had an estimated population of 196,748 in 91287 households and a population density of 340 persons per km². The total area of ...
where a horse-stealing kappa was captured and made to write a sworn statement vowing never to harm people again. In many versions the ''kappa'' is dragged by the horse to the stable where it is most vulnerable, and it is there it is forced to submit a writ of promise not to misbehave.


Defeating the kappa

It was believed that there were a few means of escape if one was confronted with a ''kappa''. ''Kappa'' are obsessed with politeness, so if a person makes a deep bow, it will return the gesture. This results in the kappa spilling the water held in the "dish" (''sara'') on its head, rendering it unable to leave the bowing position until the plate is refilled with water from the river in which it lives. If a person refills it, the ''kappa'' will serve that person for all eternity. A similar weakness of the ''kappa'' involves its arms, which can easily be pulled from its body. If an arm is detached, the ''kappa'' will perform favors or share knowledge in exchange for its return. Another method of defeat involves ''
shogi , also known as Japanese chess, is a Strategy game, strategy board game for two players. It is one of the most popular board games in Japan and is in the same family of games as chess, Western chess, chaturanga, xiangqi, Indian chess, and janggi. ...
'' or ''
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by th ...
'' wrestling: a ''kappa'' sometimes challenges a human being to wrestle or engage in other tests of skill. This tendency is easily used to encourage the ''kappa'' to spill the water from its ''sara''. One notable example of this method is the folktale of a farmer who promises his daughter's hand in marriage to a ''kappa'' in return for the creature irrigating his land. The farmer's daughter challenges the ''kappa'' to submerge several gourds in water. When the ''kappa'' fails in its task, it retreats, saving the farmer's daughter from the marriage. ''Kappa'' have also been driven away by their aversion to iron, sesame, or ginger.


Good deeds

''Kappa'' are not entirely antagonistic to human beings. They can be befriended through gifts of favoured foods, or playful wrestling matches, and they like to befriend lonely children. Since the dish of water on their head is a Kappa's greatest weakness, should it spill, a human who refills it will also earn lifelong friendship. Once befriended, ''kappa'' may perform any number of tasks for human beings, such as helping farmers
irrigate Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has be ...
their land. Sometimes, they bring fresh fish, which is regarded as a mark of good fortune for the family receiving it. They are also highly knowledgeable about
medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
, and legend states that they taught the art of bone-setting to human beings. There are also legends that Kappa will save human friends from drowning.


Regional variations

The ''kappa'' is among the best-known ''yōkai'' in Japan. It is known by various names according to region and local folklore. The best known place where it has been claimed the ''kappa'' resides is in the waters of '' Tōno '' in the
Iwate Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture (behind Hokkaido) at , with a population of 1,165,886 (as of July 1, 2023). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Pre ...
. The nearby In Tōno, there is a Buddhist temple that has
komainu , often called lion-dogs in English, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures, which traditionally guard the entrance or gate of the shrine, or placed in front of or within the ''honden'' (inner sanctum) of Japanese Shinto shrines. Symbolic mea ...
dog statues with depressions on their heads reminiscent of the water-retaining dish on the kappa's heads, said to be dedicated to the ''kappa'' which according to legend helped extinguish a fire at the temple. In his ''Tōno Monogatari'',
Kunio Yanagita was a Japanese author, scholar, and Folklore studies, folklorist. He began his career as a bureaucrat, but developed an interest in rural Japan and its folk traditions. This led to a change in his career. His pursuit of this led to his eventual e ...
records a number of beliefs from the Tōno area about women being accosted and even impregnated by ''kappa''. Their offspring were said to be repulsive to behold, and were generally buried. The ''kappa'' has been venerated at the '' Sōgenji'' temple at
Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known for Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as . History The development of Asaku ...
,
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
since the
Bunka was a after '' Kyōwa'' and before ''Bunsei''. The period spanned the years from January 1804 to April 1818. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 11, 1804 (): The new era name of ''Bunka'' ( meaning "Culture" or "Civili ...
era (1804–1818), when the temple's legendary records say the creature helped with the public waterworks project. The temple also houses a mummified hand of an alleged ''kappa''. The more historical fact was that a philanthropist named Kappaya Kihachi () contributed to the waterworks effort and was interred at the Kappa-dō pavilion of this temple.
Shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...
s are dedicated to the worship of ''kappa'' as water deity in such places as
Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...
or
Miyagi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
. There were also festivals meant to placate the ''kappa'' in order to obtain a good harvest, some of which still take place today. These festivals generally took place during the two equinoxes of the year, when the ''kappa'' are said to travel from the rivers to the mountains and vice versa. In
Shintō , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes ...
, they are often considered to be an avatar ( ) of the Water Deity or .


Iconic uses

Even today, warning signs about the ''kappa'' appearing near bodies of water are seen in some Japanese towns and villages. However, such signs often merely serve as scary warnings to dissuade young children from playing too close to rivers, ponds, etc.


Parallels

Similar folklore can be found in Asia and Europe. In Chinese and in Scandinavian lore, there is a comparable river monsters that, like the kappa, likes to draw horses into water, or demands horse as sacrifice. The ''Wu Yue Chunqiu'' ("
Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue'' () is an unofficial history from the time of the Eastern Han dynasty that consists of a collection sidenotes on historical events. The ten-volume book was written by Zhao Ye (赵晔), and narrates th ...
") quotes
Wu Zixu :''Note: names are in simplified characters followed by traditional and Pinyin transliteration.'' Wu Yun (died 484 BC), better known by his courtesy name Zixu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the Wu (state), Wu kingdom in the Spr ...
recounting a man named Jiao Qiusu losing his horse to such a river spirit. The slavic waterman (''
vodyanoy In Slavic mythology, ''vodyanoy'' ( rus, водяной, p=vədʲɪˈnoj; lit. ' efrom the water' or 'watery') is a water spirit. In Czech and Slovak fairy tales, he is called ''vodník'' (or in Germanized form: ), and often referred to as '' ...
'' of Russia, ''vodník'' or ''hastrmann'' of Czechia, '' Wassermann'' of Bohemian Germans, etc.), which demands horses as sacrifice (though cattle, sheep, etc. is used as well) has also been compared to the kappa. 318) In the folklore of the Western Slavic Wends (
Sorbs Sorbs (; ; ; ; ; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Germany, states of Saxony and Brandenburg. Sorbs tradi ...
), the '' nix'' "draws cows into the water each day at midday".


In popular culture

The ''kappa'' is a popular creature of the Japanese folk imagination; its manifestations cut across genre lines, appearing in folk religion, beliefs, legends, folktales and folk metaphors. In Japan, the character Sagojō (
Sha Wujing Sha Wujing ( zh, t=沙悟淨) is one of the three disciples of the Buddhist pilgrim Tang Sanzang in the 16th century novel ''Journey to the West'' written by Wu Cheng'en in the Ming dynasty, although versions of his character predate the Ming n ...
) is conventionally depicted as a ''kappa'': he being a comrade of the magic monkey Son Gokū (
Sun Wukong Sun Wukong (, Mandarin pronunciation: ), also known as the Monkey King, is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West''. In the novel, Sun Wukong is a monk ...
) in the Chinese story ''
Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the Classic Chinese Novels, great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the ...
''.. road-station.com (Michi-no-eiki).
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa , art name , was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "father of the Japanese short story", and Japan's premier literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He took his own life at the age ...
's 1927 novella ''
Kappa Kappa (; uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; , ''káppa'') is the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value of 20. It was d ...
'' centers on a man who got lost and ended up in the land of the ''kappa'' near
Mount Hotakadake , also known as Mount Hotakadake, is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains as coined by the media, reaching a height of . Mount Hotaka is situated in Japan's Hida Mountains and all its major peaks except Mount Maehotaka, lie on the border be ...
. The story heavily focuses on the subject of suicide and Akutagawa killed himself the year the work was published. Kappas are a recurring image in David Peace's novel '' Patient X'', itself about the life and work of Akutagawa. * In the anime show '' Inuyasha'', a ''kappa'', Sha Gojyo(Sagojō)'s descendant said to be a descendant of the legendary character from ''Journey of the West'' and together with Son Gokū's descendant, the servant of Chokyūkai to find a bride. Later, since Hakudoshi collecting the heads of other yōkai, they tracked down Hakudoshi and
Kagura is a type of Shinto ritual ceremonial dance. The term is a contraction of the phrase , indicating the presence of gods () in the practice. One major function of is , involving a procession-trance process. Usually a female shaman will perfor ...
, that he didn't they're Naraku's incarnations, and watching as Hakudoshi to peer into the yōkai heads to catch a glimpse of the Border of the Afterlife. * Kagome's
grandfather Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a m ...
gave her an alleged mummified foot of a kappa for her early 15th birthday, but she does not accept and gives to Buyo. * In episode 4 of '' Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon'', Grandpa Higurashi gifted to his great-granddaughter, Moroha, a mummified kappa's foot as a gift, which she accepts and keeps. * In the ''
Touhou Project The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by Indie game, independent Japanese Doujin soft, soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. The team's sole member, ZUN (video game developer), Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, ha ...
'' video game ''
Mountain of Faith is a 2007 bullet hell scrolling shooter developed by Team Shanghai Alice. It is the tenth main game in the ''Touhou Project'', and the twelfth game overall. As with the other main ''Touhou Project'' games, ''Mountain of Faith'' is a vertically s ...
'', the stage 3 boss is a ''kappa'' named Nitori Kawashiro. ** ''Kappas'' appear several times in official manga works of the ''Touhou Project''. They are depicted as technologically advanced inventors. ''Kappa'', and creatures based on them, are recurring characters in Japanese ''
tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...
'' films and television shows. Examples include the kappas in the
Daiei , based in Kobe, Hyōgo, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni ...
/
Kadokawa Kadokawa may refer to: *Kadokawa Corporation, the holding company of the Kadokawa Group **Kadokawa Content Gate and Kadokawa Mobile, both former names for BookWalker **Kadokawa Future Publishing, a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the publis ...
series ''
Yokai Monsters is a trilogy of Japanese horror/fantasy films written by Tetsuro Yoshida and released in the late 1960s. The films were produced by Daiei Film, and productions were largely influenced by ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' franchises where Daimajin was ...
'', the 2010 ''
kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...
'' film ''
Death Kappa is a 2010 ''kaiju'' film directed by . An international co-production of Japan and the United States, it stars , , and . In the film, a series of military experiments result in the appearance of a giant irradiated monster rivaled by a colossal m ...
'', and "King Kappa", a ''kaiju'' from the 1972
Tsuburaya Productions also abbreviated as is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is b ...
series ''
Ultraman Ace is the fourth entry (fifth overall) in the Ultra Series. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 7, 1972, to March 30, 1973, with a total of 52 episodes. Starting from this show, the Ultra Seri ...
''. These ''
yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and Spirit (supernatural entity) , spirits in Japanese folklore. The kanji representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply ...
-''like ''
kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...
'' also represent Japan as a nation, featuring in advertisements for a range of products from a major brand of sake to
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. As banks ...
's DC Card (a credit card). In their explicitly commercial conceptions, ''yōkai'' are no longer frightening or mysterious—the DC Card Kappa, for example, is not a slimy water creature threatening to kill unsuspecting children but a cute and (almost) cuddly cartoon character. * ''
Summer Days with Coo is a 2007 Japanese animated film about a kappa and its impact on an ordinary suburban family, written for the screen and directed by Keiichi Hara based on two novels by Masao Kogure. Plot Following a dreadful encounter with a samurai, a young ...
'' is a 2007 Japanese animated film about a ''kappa'' and its impact on an ordinary family, written for the screen and directed by Keiichi Hara based on two novels by Masao Kogure. * It is said that the company president of
Calbee is a Japanese snack food maker. It was founded on 30 April 1949, and its headquarters are located in the Marunouchi Trust Tower Main in Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. It launched operations at a new plant in the United States for ...
liked ''kappa'', so he wanted the name "Kappa" to be included in one of his products. That brought about Kappa Ebisen, a popular shrimp-flavored snack in Japan. * In ''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III'' (subtitled ''Turtles in Time'' in some home media releases) is a 1993 superhero film based on the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Written and directed ...
'', the titular Turtles accidentally activate the Time Scepter, a mystical artifact, and end up travelling back in time, to Japan of the Edo period (more specifically 1603). As a running gag, some of the villagers who interact with them feel frightened by their appearance and refer to them as the legendary "kappa" throughout the film. Notably, the Turtles quickly befriend children in the village, and Leonardo demonstrates for them the modern medical technique of CPR to save a boy's life.


See also

* ''Kappa'', a novel by
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa , art name , was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "father of the Japanese short story", and Japan's premier literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He took his own life at the age ...
*
Kappabashi-dori Kappabashi-dori, also known just as Kappabashi () or Kitchen Town, is a street in Tokyo between Ueno and Asakusa which is almost entirely populated with shops supplying the restaurant trade. These shops sell everything from knives and other kit ...
, a Tokyo street named after the kappa * ''
Kijimuna The Kijimuna ( Okinawan: , ''kijimunaa'', also ''kijimun'' 木の精), or Bunagaya, are creatures of the mythology native to the island of Okinawa. They are said to look around three or four years old and have red hair. About The kijimuna are ...
'', a spirit creature from
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
* Kuzenbo, the king of kappa in Japanese mythology * '' Mintuci'', a water spirit from Ainu mythology *
Neck The neck is the part of the body in many vertebrates that connects the head to the torso. It supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information between the brain and the rest of the body. Addition ...
, a shapeshifting water spirit in Germanic mythology and folklore *


Explanatory notes


References

;Bibliography * * * *


External links

*Mark Schumacher (2004)
Kappa – River Imp or Sprite
Retrieved 23 March 2006. *Garth Haslam (2000)

Retrieved 14 December 2006. *Kirainet (2007). For a look at Kappa in popular cultur
Kirainet
Retrieved 6 May 2007.
Hyakumonogatari.com
Translated kappa stories from Hyakumonogatari.com
Kappa
Unknown Explorers
Underwater Love (2011)The Great Yokai War (2005)''Summer Days with Coo'' (2009)
Animation film featuring a Kappa as main character. {{Authority control Legendary turtles Water spirits Yōkai Mythological hematophages Piscine and amphibian humanoids Anthropomorphic reptiles