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 20th 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.
