Kappabuchi Pool

Consisting of rustic little villages, Tōno City in Iwate Prefecture is known for its associations with The Legends of Tōno, a collection of folk tales published in 1910 by folklorist Kunio Yanagita. It includes many ghost stories and legends involving local yōkai, most notably the kappa, a Japanese water goblin.

While there are several sites in Tōno where the kappa is said to have been seen, the best-known one is the Kappabuchi Pool, a stream running by Jōken-ji Temple. According to the 58th episode of The Legends of Tōno, a kappa once attempted to drag a horse into the river while the stable boy was away, but instead got pulled out of the water by the sturdy horse and dragged around town.

Sure enough, the Kappabachi Pool is an atmospheric location, quiet and perhaps a little spooky, perfect for the kappa to haunt. By the water stands a shrinelet where Chichigami, a folk deity of breasts, is worshipped alongside statuettes of kappa. Pregnant women are recommended to roll a piece of red cloth into the shape of a breast, place it on the altar and pray to Chichigami, so that they will be blessed with good breast milk.

Visitors are also encouraged to fish for the kappa, with a reward of ¥10,000,000 if they manage to catch one. Kappa fishing licenses are sold at several locations across Tōno, including the tourist information center and the Denshoen park.