Kappa (河童, Kappa^? "river-child"), alternately called Gatarō (川太郎, Gatarō^? "river-boy") or Kawako (川子, Kawako^? "river-child") , are legendary creatures; a type of water sprite found in Japanese folklore. However they are also considered to be a part of cryptozoology, due to apparent sightings. In Shintoism they are considered to be one of many suijin (literally "water-deity"). Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ... Look up Sprite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Japanese mythology is a very complex system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. ... A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ... The term sprite is a broad term referring to a number of preternatural legendary creatures. ... Japanese folklore is the folklore of Japan. ... Cryptozoology is the search for animals that are rumored to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Suijin is the Shinto god of water in Japan. ...

Appearance

Most depictions show kappa as child-sized humanoids, though their bodies are often more like those of monkeys or frogs than human beings. Some descriptions say their faces are apelike, while others show them with beaked visages more like those of tortoises or with duck beaks. Pictures usually show kappa with thick shells and scaly skin that ranges in color from green to yellow or blue. Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frogness babe is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... Families Hylobatidae Hominidae †Proconsulidae †Dryopithecidae †Oreopithecidae Apes are the members of the Hominoidea superfamily of primates, which includes humans. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. ... Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... In this SEM image of a butterfly wing the scales are clearly visible, and the tiny platelets on each individual scale are just barely visible in the striping. ...

Kappa inhabit the ponds and rivers of Japan and have various features to aid them in this environment, such as webbed hands and feet. They are sometimes even said to smell like fish, and they can certainly swim like them. The expression kappa-no-kawa-nagare ("a kappa drowning in a river") conveys the idea that even experts make mistakes. Two people reflected in a fish pond A pond is typically a man made body of water smaller than a lake. ... This bridge across the Danube River links Hungary with Slovakia. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ...

The most notable feature of the kappa, however, is the water-filled depressions atop their heads. These cavities are surrounded by scraggly hair, and this type of bobbed hair style is named okappa-atama for the creatures. The kappa derive their incredible strength from these liquid-filled holes, and anyone confronted with one may exploit this weakness by simply getting the kappa to spill the water from its head. The kappa possesses a deep sense of etiquette, so one trusted method is to appeal to this, for a kappa cannot help but return a deep bow, even if it means losing its head-water in the process. Once depleted, the kappa is seriously weakened and may even die. Other tales say that this water allows kappa to move about on land, and once emptied, the creatures are immobilized. Stubborn children are encouraged to follow the custom of bowing on the grounds that it is a defense against kappa. Street haircut in Harbin, China. ... It has been suggested that Office etiquette be merged into this article or section. ... Bowing is the act of lowering the head, or sometimes the entire upper body from the waist, as a social gesture. ...

Behavior

Modern signs warn children of kappa lurking in water.

Kappa are mischievous troublemakers. Their pranks range from the relatively innocent, such as loudly passing gas or looking up women's kimonos, to the more troublesome, such as stealing crops, kidnapping children, or raping women. In fact, small children are one of the gluttonous kappa's favorite meals, though they will eat adults as well. They feed on these helpless victims by sucking out the shirikodama (尻子玉, shirikodama^?)[1] (or entrails, blood, liver, or "life force", depending on the legend) through the anus. Even today, signs warning about kappa appear by bodies of water in some Japanese towns and villages. Kappa are also said to be afraid of fire, and some villages hold fireworks festivals each year to scare the spirits away. Image File history File links Kappawarning. ... Image File history File links Kappawarning. ... Flatulence (expelled through the anus in a process commonly known as farting or emitting gas) is the presence of a mixture of gases known as flatus in the digestive tract of mammals. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Everyday instance of theft: the bike which fits on this wheel has disappeared. ... Disembowelment is evisceration, or the removing of vital organs, usually from the abdomen. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... The liver is an organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. ... Female Human Anatomy Male Human Anatomy This article is about the bodily orifice. ... A forest fire Fire is a rapid oxidation process that creates light, heat, smoke, frost, and releases energy in varying intensities. ... Fireworks over Miami, Florida, USA on American Independence Day Fireworks at Epcot, Florida, USA The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House illuminated under New Years Eve Fireworks 2005 A Fireworks event (also called a fireworks show) or Pyrotechnics is a spectacular display of the effects produced by...

Kappa are not entirely antagonistic to mankind, however. They are curious of human civilization, and they can understand and speak Japanese. They thus sometimes challenge those they encounter to various tests of skill, such as shogi or sumo wrestling. They may even befriend human beings in exchange for gifts and offerings, especially cucumbers, the only food kappa are known to enjoy more than human children. Japanese parents sometimes write the names of their children (or themselves) on cucumbers and toss them into kappa-infested waters in order to mollify the creatures and allow the family to bathe. There is even a kind of cucumber-filled sushi roll named for the kappa, the kappamaki. Shogi ), or Japanese chess, is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan. ... A Sumo match (Ozeki Kaio vs. ... Binomial name L. The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. ... Many types of sushi ready to be eaten. ... Kappamaki (Japanese:きぱまき) is a type of Japanese sushi roll that is made from cucumber, rolled with vinegared rice (shari) and nori to make a maki, or sushi roll. ...

Once befriended, kappa have been known to perform any number of tasks for human beings, such as helping farmers irrigate their land. They are also highly knowledgeable of medicine, and legend states that they taught the art of bone setting to mankind. Due to these benevolent aspects, some shrines are dedicated to the worship of particularly helpful kappa. Kappa may also be tricked into helping people. Their deep sense of decorum will not allow them to break an oath, for example, so if a human being can dupe a kappa into promising to help him, the kappa has no choice but to follow through. Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil. ... medicines, see Medication. ... Bone-setting is an ancient art of healing through bone manipulation. ... A torii is a gate leading to a jinja. ... Etiquette is the code that governs the expectations of social behavior, the conventional norm. ...

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

See also

• Kappabashi-dori, a neighborhood in Tokyo. Kappa here is a homophone, but the homophony is exploited.

A giant chef marks the entrance to the southern end of Kappabashi-dori Kappabashi-dori, also known just as Kappabashi (Japanese: 合羽橋) or Kitchen Town, is a street in Tokyo between Ueno and Asakusa which is almost entirely populated with shops supplying the restaurant trade. ...

External links

• Mark Schumacher (2004). Kappa -- River Imp or Sprite. Retrieved March 23, 2006.
• Garth Haslam (2000). Kappa Quest 2000. Retrieved December 14, 2006.
• Kirainet (2007). For a look at Kappa in popular culture Kirainet. Retrieved May 6 2007.