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. (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. (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. (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. (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. (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
