A water yokai found all over Japan
The kappa is a yokai said to live in rivers, swamps and ponds. It is about the size of a child, with a dish of water on top of its head, a shell on its back and webbed hands and feet. It goes by many regional names, including kawataro, gataro, medochi and hyosube.
Frightening tales and friendly ones
Some stories say the kappa drags people and horses into the water, or pulls out a mysterious organ called the shirikodama. Many others are far friendlier: the kappa loves sumo wrestling, loses its strength if the water in its head-dish spills, adores cucumbers, and in some tales teaches a recipe for medicine to thank a person who helped it.
The kappa of Tono
Yanagita Kunio’s The Legends of Tono (1910) records several kappa stories from the Tono area of Iwate Prefecture. Tono still has a pool where kappa are said to have appeared, now a popular tourist spot. Kappa stories are also thought to have served as warnings, teaching children about the dangers of the water.
