Text: The Kappa: a Japanese legend

Context: “I’m not Japanese, but many of my classmates in my elementary school were from Japan and China, so I heard a lot about the Kappa creature. In eighth grade, my school did a trip to Japan, and all my friends who lived there warned me of Kappas. Any time we walked by a river, my classmates would tell me that there was a Kappa in there, waiting to drown us. I remember some of the rivers even had signs that would show children getting attacked by Kappas. I never saw a Kappa, but they described them as scaly, green reptiles that were almost like a cross between turtles, humans, and dragons. My friends always told me that if we encountered one, it would attack me, and not them, because they know how to treat a Kappa as a Japanese, but because I was not Japanese, it would come for me first.”

Analysis: The story of the Kappa is an example of a legend rooted in Japanese culture. Although the interviewee is not Japanese, he still participates in folklore. This shows how folklore can be inclusive, as he is able to learn about and understand this legend. However, it also shows how folklore is exclusive, as even though he can learn the folklore, he is never truly part of it. His classmates told him that the Kappa would attack him only, because he did not know how to properly respect it, as he is not Japanese. This relates to ethnonationalism, and how folklore can be tied to ethnonational identity. This also shows the difference between emic vs etic perspectives. His classmates represent an emic perspective, as the Kappa is part of their internal worldview. For the interviewee, though, it is an external observation. He becomes a partial participant in the folklore through performance.

This story also shows how folklore becomes institutionalized in everyday life. The fact that it is common for there to be signs warning people of Kappas in the water, shows that the creatures are not just legendary, but also pedagogical. The creature acts as a warning to prevent children from going in the water, making the legend a cautionary tale. Although the creature itself will not drown you, a young child swimming in the water when they are unable to, can cause drowning, and the Kappa is a way to prevent this.

Lastly, this also shows how folklore can be a part of memory and rites of passage. This school trip is defined and remembered by the Kappa, which shows how folklore can create cultural learning. Even though he never had a personal encounter with a Kappa, the creature became part of how he understood not only Japan, but also his status as an outsider within Japanese culture. The personal connection into lived experiences gives the legend power.