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Using a whole cucumber as bait, a child tries his luck at catching a kappa at Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, Japan.

Using a whole cucumber as bait, a child tries his luck at catching a kappa at Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, Japan. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

North America has the Sasquatch. Scotland has the Loch Ness Monster. Japan has the kappa.

You’ll be able to spot this elusive, water-dwelling creature by its turtle-like shell and webbed hands and feet, according to Japanese folklore. A distinctive indentation atop its head comes in handy for carrying water, which kappas apparently need for energy.

Kappas are usually green, about the height of a small child and consider cucumbers a special treat.

This is what you’ll use for bait when fishing for these mythical critters at the aptly named Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, a city in Iwate prefecture.

You’ll find the pool — also known as Kappa Pond — behind Joken-ji, a Buddhist temple of the Soto sect, founded in 1490. Japanese signs point the way to a tranquil, tree-shaded grove where mischievous kappas are said to relax, munch on cucumbers and play tricks on visitors.

A statue of a kappa, Japan’s most elusive mythical creature, sits near Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, a city in Iwate prefecture.

A statue of a kappa, Japan’s most elusive mythical creature, sits near Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, a city in Iwate prefecture. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

Kappas, according to Japanese folklore, are usually green, about the height of a small child and consider cucumbers a special treat.

Kappas, according to Japanese folklore, are usually green, about the height of a small child and consider cucumbers a special treat. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

A kind man in a wide-brimmed hat sells kappa fishing permits for 220 yen — about $1.55 — and will hook you up with a bamboo pole outfitted with the appropriate bait. The permits, which list seven rules for catching a kappa, can also be purchased a Densheon, a small folk museum a short walk away that offers free parking to pool visitors.

If you catch a kappa and deliver it to the folks at the Tono Tourism Association, they say they’ll reward you with 10 million yen — more than $70,000.

Bamboo poles baited with cucumber are what you'll use to catch the mythical kappa at Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, Japan.

Bamboo poles baited with cucumber are what you'll use to catch the mythical kappa at Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, Japan. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

Bamboo poles baited with cucumber are what you'll use to catch the mythical kappa at Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, Japan.

Bamboo poles baited with cucumber are what you'll use to catch the mythical kappa at Kappabuchi Pool in Tono, Japan. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

No one managed to hook one during Stars and Stripes’ recent visit, though a small child somehow managed to smack his mother in the face with a cucumber.

You’ll also find statues of kappa and a small shrine that’s said to help pregnant women produce plenty of milk for their newborns.

After working up an appetite from fishing, stroll over to Kappa no Chaya — or Kappa’s Teahouse — for soft serve ice cream, coffee, sodas and other beverages.

You’ll find Kappabuchi Pool behind Joken-ji, a Buddhist temple in Tono, Japan. Japanese signs point the way to a tranquil, tree-shaded grove where mischievous kappas are said to relax, munch on cucumbers and play tricks on visitors.

You’ll find Kappabuchi Pool behind Joken-ji, a Buddhist temple in Tono, Japan. Japanese signs point the way to a tranquil, tree-shaded grove where mischievous kappas are said to relax, munch on cucumbers and play tricks on visitors. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

On the QT

Directions: About a 10-minute drive from downtown Tono, Iwate prefecture. Tsuchibuchi, Tsuchibuchi-cho, Tono city, Iwate, 028-0555

Times: The temple grounds are typically open daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Costs: A kappa fishing permit is 220 yen. Pick one up at Densheon, a nearby folklore museum that also offers free parking to Kappa Pond visitors. We got ours directly at the fishing site.

Food: Kappa’s Teahouse, adjacent to the temple, offers a variety of items, including a popular soft-serve ice cream with a cone that looks like a kimono.

Information: Phone: 0198-62-1333; Online: www.tonojikan.jp/ml

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