<p>Artwork of a samurai surrounded by playful kappa</p>

Artwork of a samurai surrounded by playful kappa (Photo: Cathy Cawood)

Kizakura Kappa Museum

Sake brewery with evidence of the mythological kappa!

Cathy Cawood Dec 19, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Artwork of a samurai surrounded by playful kappa</p>

<p>Sign at the entrance</p>

<p>A sculpture of a swimming kappa couple outside the museum</p>

<p>Kappa skeleton</p>

<p>You can see the webbing between the fingers of this kappa hand</p>

<p>Locations where the kappa artifacts in the museum were found  </p>

<p>Model of a kappa in front of an explanation poster</p>

<p>Cartoon drawing of kappa school. Notice the young kappa are seated on cucumbers, which are kappas' favorite food.</p>

<p>Large wooden vat that was once used for fermenting sake mash</p>

<p>Local people still fill water bottles at the spring here</p>

<p>Kanji sign and crests of the sake brewery</p>

<p>Some tools used in the sake-making process</p>

<p>Kizakura's stamp showing the water that sake making depends on</p>

<p>Water basin and bamboo spout</p>

Japanese mythology has a creature known as a 'kappa' - a sort of water goblin with a plate shaped indentation on its head. However perhaps it is more than a myth... if you visit this brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto, make sure you check out the kappa artifacts in the small but fascinating museum there!

Cathy Cawood

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...