Have you ever wondered why the cucumber sushi roll is called kappa-maki? It is named after a popular yokai, not just famous in japan, but known around the world. Although it is a common japanese pop-culture, til today, parents still warn their children to be wary against these river yokai.

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Kappa is believed to be one of the many Suijin (水神), i.e. water deities that are found in lakes, ponds, springs and wells. The yokai’s lore is indigenous  to Japan and its knowledge has been dated back as early as the 1st century AD.

Most ancient documents described Kappa as a reptilian anthropomorphic yokai that usually lives near flowing rivers. The aquatic creatures have webbed feet and hands that are excellent for swimming, has a hooked beak instead of a mouth and carries a shell on its back like a turtle.

The impish yokai are usually described as mean spirited and attacks any prey near the river, such as horses, cattle and humans. Kappa drag their victims into the water and hold them down to drown them. The river yokai are very strong and can easily wrestle down a bear in the waters. These creatures will eat almost anything they can catch, but they are especially fond of raw innards, human anuses and cucumbers (go figure!)

Impish Behaviours

Some parts of Japan have described kappa as having mischievous behaviours such as peeping at woman who pees by the river and farting great farts at unwary people . Another region portrays more nefarious behaviour such as theft, looting and, even, raping women. I suspect that these “kappa” could be a different species type, as the activities seem to occur further inland.

There is a belief that if you manage to wrestle and capture a kappa, it will fulfill your one request for its release. The trick to defeating the yokai is know the origin for its super strength. On the kappa‘s head is an bowl-like indentation which holds some water. The yokai’s strength is proportional to the water in this bowl. When there is no more water, the kappa is only as strong as a small child.

So if you have a wish that you want fulfilled, maybe you could hunt down a kappa. You never know, you can offer a cucumber for a match on land and trick him into bowing before the match starts.

Yokai Details

• name: kappa (kap-pa)
• kanji: 河童 (かっぱ)
• meaning: river child
• aka:
  • kawataro (川太郎 )
  • kawako (川子)
• abilities:
  • amphibious — can remain underwater or on land without suffering and ill effects
  • superhuman strength — strong enough to hold down a sumo wrestler underwater
  • superswimmer — able to swim well, even in very strong river currents