Bungo KawatarōBungo Kawatarō, the Hairy Kappa of Bungo

This version turns to the local color that Bungo Kawatarō carries within the broad category of the kappa. Across Kyushu the kappa is widely called "kawatarō," and Bungo Kawatarō is one of these. Against the frog- and turtle-like kappa so often pictured on the main island, the kappa of Bungo and the rest of Kyushu are usually described as hairy and monkeylike in build—a vivid reminder of how greatly the kappa’s form varied from region to region.

Its nature is true to the kappa: it claims the waterside as its territory and delights in sumo and pranks, yet retains a regard for courtesy. To those who bring offerings and keep their promises, it was said to grant the practical wisdom useful to people who live by the water—how to read the currents, how to manage irrigation, how to sense the turn of the weather. Rather than dwelling too heavily on grisly horrors like pulling out entrails, Bungo Kawatarō was spoken of as a being met with both fear and reliance; that is its distinctive flavor. The eyewitness records in Hita’s Kappa Kikiawase^[1] convey that such a kawatarō was no mere fancy but a living presence within the life of the land.

Yokai with similar personality and characteristics to Bungo Kawatarō, the Hairy Kappa of Bungo

Gongo

The Water Deity of Nozoki-buchi: Gongo

92%

Compatibility

Hyousunbo

The River Kappa of Hyuga: Hyousunbo

91%

Compatibility

Yamawaro (Mountain Child)

The Mountain Boy of Western Japan, the Yamawaro

91%

Compatibility

Yokai with opposite personality and characteristics to Bungo Kawatarō, the Hairy Kappa of Bungo

Kisaragi Station

The Unmanned Station Slipping into the Otherworld

61%

Compatibility

Kosodate Yurei

The Mother's Ghost Raising Her Child in a Grave, Kosodate Yurei

62%

Compatibility

Jinmenken (Human-Faced Dog)

Late Showa Era Urban Legend: Jinmenken

64%

Compatibility