KAPPAS: A LEGEND REVEALED

KAPPAS: A LEGEND REVEALED

Igor and "Kappa."

 Meet Igor the dog and his very special friend Kappa. You will all agree that it is a charming photo of a dog and his otter friend; however, the photograph caused me to pause for a moment and think. Perhaps it was fortuitous that not only did I see the cute picture, but that the otter’s name is of all things “Kappa!”

For those of you unfamiliar with the word “kappa,” allow me to take a moment to explain. A kappa (河童, literally “river child”), also known as a kawako (川虎, literally “river tiger”, is a yōkai (demon) or imp found in traditional Japanese folklore.

  

 A ceramic female kappa and children in the town square in Tajimi, Japan.

The name is a combination of the words kawa (river) and wappa, a variant form of 童 warawa (also warabe) “child.” In Shintō they are considered to be one of many suijin (水神), or “water deities”). A hairy kappa is called a hyōsube (ひょうすべ). In Japanese Buddhism they are considered to be a kind of hungry ogre. Kappa are especially noted for having a small pool or “bowl” of water situated on top of their head, signifying, and by some legends, holding their life force.

  

 Various forms of Umagappa, the kappa mascot of Tajimi, Japan.

Now, as many of you may know, I have a special affinity for kappa, and have included them in my “Nekojins” cartoons.

  

 From "My Neighbors the Nekojins" featuring Vinnie Nekojin and his kappa friend fishing together.

You may also know that I also have a special affinity for otters as evidenced by the “Nekojin” cartoon character “Otto,” a North American river otter who stowed away in a backpack at San Francisco’s Land’s End, only to be discovered later and adopted into the family.

  

 From "My Neighbors the Nekojins," Otto the North American river otter and his teddy bear.

That having been said, as I looked at the photo of Igor and Kappa, I had what might be called a type of epiphany — both a realization and a question. Could otters actually be kappa? I read and questioned, read some more, and have arrived at the realization that they probably are. The following is my theory on the matter: 

Museum display of a Japanese river otter.

Kappa, the legendary “river children” are indeed otters; specifically, they are (or were) Japanese river otters (Lutra lutra whiteleyi) or 日本川獺 (Nihon-kawauso). I say “were,” because they are no longer. The Japanese river otter is an extinct variety of otter which at one time was quite widespread in Japan. Reports by Westerners of them living in the Tokyō area go back to the 1880s. The Japanese otter population (not unlike the otter populations along the west coast of North America, and particularly California) suddenly declined drastically in the 1930s and also as in California, nearly vanished. In more recent times, Japanese otters have only been spotted in the Seto Island Sea (1964) and in the Uwa Sea (1972 – 1973). The last time one was officially reported as having been seen was in the southern part of Lochi Prefecture in 1979, photographed in the mouth of the Shinjo River in Susaki. Alas, that was the last photograph. The otters were then classified as “Critically Endangered” and on August 28, 2012, the Japanese river otter was officially declared extinct by the Ministry of Environment.

   

Reported to be the last photograph taken of a Japanese river otter.

Fully grown, A Japanese otter was between 25.5 and 31.5 inches long with a tail measuring 17.5 – 19.5 inches long. They had thick, luxurious fur, dark brown in color and had short, webbed and “fingered” feet and hands. Studies prior to their extinction revealed that the otters had two types of fur. They would shed their under fur from May to August and after that they would shed their guard hair from August to November, allowing them to adjust to the changing of seasons. Information obtained from past studies indicated that the otters had a lifespan of up to 25 years and historically, there were thousands of river otters in Japan.

  

 A pre-Meiji chart showing various types of kappa.

The kappa is typically depicted as roughly humanoid in form and about the size of a child, also between 25.5 and 31.5 inches long. While descriptions vary from region to region, it is sometimes described as having scaly reptilian skin. Now, an otter with a full coat, which is quite wet, shimmers and the fur can in fact look like longish, shiny scales. Kappa purportedly inhabit the ponds and rivers of Japan (typical otter habitat), and have various features to aid them in this environment, such as webbed hands (with fingers) and feet (with toes) — just like otters. They are sometimes said to smell like fish (no surprise there for anyone who knows otters) and they can swim like them as well. Again with the regional differences in descriptions of kappa, their alleged appearance has varied and has included a beak, a shell, and a plate (sara), a flat hairless region on the top of the head that is always wet. Some legends have referred to this area as actually being a bowl of sorts, containing water, which is regarded as the source of the kappa’s power. This “bowl” must be full whenever a kappa is away from the water; if it ever dries out, the kappa loses its power and may even die. I have often observed otters first hand with sea weed or various forms of water vegetation on their heads and they are known to, from time to time, balance objects are their head — for fun.

  

 North American otter balancing a rock or "bowl" on top of his head.

Now I cannot fully address the appearance of a shell but one might suspect that what were reported as kappas with shells were actually turtles of some size or tortoises. That would also explain the reported “beaks,” which are apparent particularly when a turtle pokes his head out of the water. Otter noses themselves can vary from a whitish pink to black as well as in size. I submit to you that the schnoz of an otter, depending on size and color, could be mistaken for a beak; perhaps most particularly by fishermen who have been enjoying sake during warm days of fishing.

While they are primarily water creatures, kappa do on occasion, and according to legend, venture on to land. So do otters, and while on land, both kappas and otters both are usually seen as mischievous troublemakers or tricksters. For kappas, their pranks range from the relatively innocent, such as looking up women’s kimonos, to the malevolent, such as drowning people and animals, kidnapping children, raping women and at times eating human flesh — pretty treacherous for such little guys. Not so for otters! Playful tricksters yes — malefactors no! Folk beliefs claim the cucumber as the traditional favorite meal of kappas. Otters, I will admit, are not overly fond of cucumbers and prefer fish or such kibble as Meow Mix.

  

 A kappa by Toryama Sekien, c. 1780.

It is said that kappa are curious about human civilization, as are otters. Scuba diving in Monterey Bay, I have experienced otters coming right up to me and peering through my mask, or reaching out to touch it or even me. While kayaking in the same region, considered “otter rich,” I have even had them climb up onto my boat to explore or even hitch a ride. It is also widely stated that kappa understand and speak Japanese. I think this is just a regional phenomenon as sea and river otters in California and elsewhere who have exposure to humans appear to understand to some degree or other whatever the regional language may be. They do “speak” in series of squeaks and clicks, which, with time and study, can be interpreted to mean various things. Kappa may even befriend human beings in exchange for gifts or offerings of nasu (茄子, Japanese eggplant), soba (そば or 蕎麦, buckwheat noodles), nattō (なっとう or 納豆, fermented soybeans) (there is no accounting for taste), or kabocha (カボチャ, 南瓜, winter squash), but especially cucumbers, the only food kappa are known to enjoy more than human children. While otters do not eat children and don’t seem to care for cucumbers or natto, they do enjoy and appreciate gifts of fish and with frequent exposure to humans can become quite friendly and playful.

It’s been a long time since anyone has reported seeing a kappa or an otter. Beginning in the Meiji era, the Japanese government opted for a policy of increased wealth and military strength. Otter pelts became quite valuable as a money-making export and populations declined. They did make a slight comeback after the creation of hunting regulations; but even so, as one might now expect in hindsight, pollution and human development damaged their environment; thus, the resources needed to build habitats and to obtain food. Compelled to seek adequate food sources, the otters were forced into more dangerous settings which in due course, resulted in the extinction of the Japanese river otter in the late 20^th century.

  

 A Japanese postage stamp depicting a Japanese river otter, issued in 1974.

There may be however, a glimmer of hope for the otter, and I think therefore the kappa. Throughout the 1990s there were several official attempts to locate a surviving Japanese river otter. In December of 1991 the Environmental Agency of Japan, working with the government of Kochi Prefecture, put together a research team of otter experts (not necessarily themselves experts on kappa) and began the search. It was in March of the next year that the research group discovered hair and excrement in the Kochi region believed to have come from an otter. They also located three footprints and additional ten excrement samples. An analysis of the cross-section of the hair determined that the fur did in fact come from an otter – solid scientific evidence that the Japanese river otter, and I suspect the kappa, still existed in Japan at that time.

  

 North American river otter in meditation.

So there it is and there you have it. Knowing how Japanese people love to listen to and to tell tales, and knowing how such stories can be embellished as they are told and retold, is it any wonder then that the Japanese river otter became kappa? I think not.