Kappa Hunting in Tono

Just south of me there's an area called the Tono Valley, famous for a race of mythical creatures called the "Kappa". They're man-sized creatures that resemble turtles with small bowls of water carried on their head (so they can survive outside of the water)

Take a look:


Usually they're depicted as cute, cuddly creatures with a mischievous streak. This is their friendly, marketable, plush-toy-on-a-keychain side. It helps you to forget that Kappas also ravage crops, feast on sleeping children, and might just suck your soul out of your body through your ass.

How do you protect yourself from something so unpleasant?

Bow at them. Being polite themselves, these creatures will return your gesture, spill the water from their heads and be forced to flee into the nearest body of water.

On the way there:

This is the Kappa Pool behind a small shrine in Tono. Legends claim that Kappas helped put out a fire at the shrine many years ago. Point for cuddly.

Stake marking the Kappa Pool:

Another local legend tells of the Horse Lady (there is probably a more literary-sounding title). Basic plot summary: girl-meets-horse, girl falls in love with horse, girl becomes man and wife with horse in the barn.

Girl's father discovers the relationship and is very disappointed.

The probably very shook up old dude freaks out and drags the horse outside and cuts its throat under a tree, where the girl finds it the next day. At this point I skipped to the end of the pamphlet to avoid further plot developments and the two ascended to heaven.


This is their house:Inside is the trunk of the tree where the horse died. It's a place of pilgramige (sp?) for expecting women and young mothers.

Which is a little weird, when you think about it.


Another temple complex nearby that we went to:

The sky is burning!

also:
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