Ushiku Ibaraki

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- KAPPA - 河童 / 合羽　/ かっぱ /　カッパ - ABC-Index -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

- Ushiku 牛久 in Ibaraki -

- quote
Ushiku (牛久市 Ushiku-shi)
The city was founded on June 1, 1986, and is home to one of the world's tallest statues, the Ushiku Daibutsu. Additional attractions include Chateau Kamiya, a wine chateau started in 1901, and Lake Ushiku, a scenic lake that is said to be the birthplace of the mythical Kappa (folklore) beast.
- source : wikipedia


CLICK for more photos of the lake !

Ushikunuma, Ushiku-Numa 牛久沼 Lake Ushiku, Ushiku swamp

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Ushiku no Kappa Matsu 牛久のカッパ松 The Pine Tree and the Kappa

Once upon a time
a young man from the village was in danger of being pulled into the pond by a Kappa.
The villagers choose the strongest of their men to fight the Kappa for good. So they searched for the Kappa, pulled him out of the pond and bound him to a pine tree near by with the intention to kill him.



But the Kappa began to cry and excuse himself for his bad behavior so far. He promised never to hurt people again.
So the villagers let him go after all.
But from this time on nobody has ever drowned in this pond again.

- source : Dino Toy Museum


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kappa ni moratta takaramono かっぱにもらった宝物 a treasure from the Kappa
The place of this folktale is 結城郡八千代町 Ibaraki, Yuki-gun, Yachio-machi

How someone earned great fortune from a man-eating Kappa through a fake letter

Once upon a time
A man went to do some shopping in town and had to pass the 釈迦沼 Shakanuma swamp near Yuki. The surroundings of the swamp were overgrown with wild plants but suddenly a small boy appeared and gave the man a letter, asking him to hand it over to a man at the 飯沼 Iinuma swamp near 八千代村 Yashio Village.

The gentle man promised to deliver the letter. The boy had asked him to clap his hands three times when he reached Iinuma swamp and then disappeared. The man found this rather strange but then he went on his way, hoping to deliver the letter.

As he continued his way, he met a Yamabushi mountain priest 法印様 (山伏) who told him, there was the sign of death on his face. The man trusted the priest and told him about the letter from the child. When the priest  opened the letter, there was nothing written on it at all. It was just a white piece of paper.

But when the priest  dipped the letter into the river water, letters appeared.
""This man looks quite delicious! Please eat him right away!"
The letters were written with orange pumpkin soup.
The child that our good man hat met at the Shakanuma swamp was in fact the Kappa of this swamp, and he was now in danger of being eaten by another Kappa.

The good man was very frightened, now he could not go back passing the Shakanuma swamp without being detected by the boy Kappa - there was no way to flee. He asked the Mountain priest  for help.
The priest took the stem of a pumpkin plant and with its liquid dripping out re-wrote the words of the letter.
Then he handed it back to the good man.




The good man was very grateful, thanked the priest and was soon on his way to Iinuma swamp. He clapped his hands three times and suddenly a rather eerie young man appeared. The young man seemed to already know the contents of the letter and grasped if fast from the man.
But when he began to read the words that the Priest had written, he seemed surprised:

"This good man has saved my life, please give his a treasure to show your gratitude!"

The young man read the letter again and again and even asked if this was the real letter he had been handed over. "Sure this is the original letter!"
Finally the young man in an angry mood pulled out a treasure from his breast pocket. It was a small hand mill made from stone 石の挽き臼. He threw it in front of the good man and disappeared hastily into the swamp.

When the man reached home this evening, he immediately began to try this hand mill
and - to his great surprise - grains of rice began to flow out of the hand mill.
Thanks to the present from the Kappa, our good man now could eat rice every day and lead a prosperous life.
The End.

source:　Higano Tokuhisa 日向野徳久
茨城の民話 第二集（日本の民話72），日向野徳久，未来社，1978年12月05日，原題「かっぱにもらった宝物」，採録地「結城郡」

. Manga Nihon Mukashibanashi　まんが日本昔ばなし .




. usu 臼. 挽臼 different types of mortars, grinders and handmills .

..............................................................................................................................................


- - - - - Present, presents from Kappa in other legends かっぱの贈り物 - - - - -

- - - - - This folktale is very similar to this one of the faked letter :
. Kappa no Sara カッパの皿 The Dish of Kappa .
豊岡村 Legend from Tomioka Village, Shizuoka


. - Kappa no kame 河童のかめ The Water Jar of Kappa
- Kappa no tsubo 河童の壺 .
栖足寺 Seisoku-Ji, Shizuoka


. - Kappa no kizugusuri カッパのきず薬 / 河童の傷薬
Kappa giving an ointment for wounds - .


. Kappa Tokkuri, Kappadokkuri 河童徳利 "Kappa and the Sake Flask" .
Kanagawa :　Nishikubo, Chigasaki 神奈川県は茅ヶ崎の西久保


Kappa ni moratta koban 河童にもらった小判（今戸焼カッパ人形　東京）Tokyo
Kappa no wabijo 河童の詫び状（染黒寺　岩手） Letter of regret / excuse - Iwate
Kappa no seimon seki 河童の誓文石（潮見神社　佐賀）Written oath - Shiga


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




. Manholes マンホール from Japan .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Kyuuchan キューちゃん Kyu-Chan - The Town Mascot



. - Mascots マスコット　and Characters キャラクター - Kanto .



Kyuu-chan even gets a birthday cake !
And Kappa Senbei 河童せんべい are a speciality of Ushiku.
. Cucumber - kyuuri キュウリ Kyuri, Gurken - .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Ushiku Kappa Matsuri 牛久かっぱ祭り



Ushiku’s familiar blend of traditional dance and modern entertainment.
This festival focuses on the mythical character Kappa.
Thousands of people dancing to the "Kappa Bayashi" song, stalls on the sides of the road, various events on the stages. Held on the east side of Ushiku Station.

- reference -

.......................................................................


. Sakuma Asuka 佐久間あすか - Painter from Ushikunuma .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


 Kappa Study Center かっぱの里生涯学習センタ
Ushiku town 牛久市


第51図 「観音妙智力」 Kannon Myochi Riki - Kappa seeking wisdom from Kannon Bosatsu

ami ni kurumaru 網にくるまる
nio no ukizu 鳰の浮巣 floating nest of a water bird
riryuu no tama to kappa 驪龍の珠とカッパ black dragon and Kappa
Ushimata Buzaemon 牛股武左衛門

with 河童百図 100 paintings of a Kappa
- source : www.city.ushiku.lg.jp

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. - - - Join my Kappa friends on facebook ! - - - .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. - Ogawa Usen 小川芋銭 - . (1868-1938)
Kappa painter and poet who lived in Ushiku.


. Kappa densetsu　河童伝説, Kappa minwa 河童民話 - Introduction .

. Mingei 民芸　Regional Folk　Art from Japan .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::