Kappa

First Published: February 1988 by Fantagraphics Books

• Miyamoto Usagi

Kappa

Kappa, in Japanese folklore, are water goblins believed to be descended from the River God. They are also called "Kawako" or "River Child" because they sometimes take the shape of small children, but more often appear as scaled, hairless, monkey-like beings wearing tortoise shells. One consistent physical feature, though, is the trough of water on their heads. Should the water be spilled, they immediately lose their powers. besides this weakness, they also have a fondness for cucumbers. Cucumbers were sometimes thrown in the water with the names of family members to insure that the Kappa not harm them. Kappa are unusually polite creatures and are honor-bound to live up to any agreement extracted from them.

Last issue's "Silk Fair" story was inspired by the classic movie Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa, which also takes place during a silk fair. If you haven't seen it, run out and rent the tape. For you film buffs out there, be on the lookout for the sequence that inspired Luke's confrontation with the criminals in Star Wars' cantina scene.

- Stan Sakai

Continuing his wanderings, Usagi travels through a marsh. Finding some wild growing cucumbers, he picks them, then continues on. He does not get far however; a kappa rises from the water, demanding payment to be allowed to cross the marshes. Knowing their fondness for cucumbers, Usagi gives those he found earlier to the evil spirit and hurries onward.

Spying a house not far away, he is seen by the house's owner and invited in. An old woman provides him with a meal and chats with him. He tells her of the kappa and his luck in finding the cucumbers. At hearing this, the old woman begins to wail. She had planted the cucumbers for her son to pay the kappa when he came to visit her. Usagi hurries off to rectify the situation.

Arriving back at the marsh, Usagi sees the kappa holding another samurai in thrall. Demanding his release, Usagi tells the kappa of the mix up. The kappa does not care however, and demands another toll from Usagi, attacking him. Usagi is very nearly overcome by the formidable monster however manages to spill the water from it's inverted fontanelle, incapacitating the beast. He makes the kappa free its victim and promise to stop harassing passing travellers before he allows it to return to the water.

The other samurai thanks Usagi, but is confused as to how he knew he would be there. Usagi explains the meeting with the samurai's mother. Usagi is startled to learn about the death of the samurai's mother, a victim to the kappa one year ago to the day.

Last change: 19. May 2003

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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.