Saga: Shrine Returns Statue of Mythical Water Creature to Original Spot; Move Hoped to Prevent Damage from Floods, Keep Children Safe

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:00 JST, July 13, 2024

SAGA — A wooden carving of a kappa, a mythical creature that is said to prevent water accidents, has been returned to its original place on the gate at Matsubara Shrine in Saga City after about 50 years.

The wooden statue is about 68 centimeters tall and is said to have been carved in the Edo period (1603-1867). Legend has it that a long time ago, a local official cast a spell on many dolls to make them work on a construction project. When the project was finished, the workers were returned to their original doll form and dumped into a river. The dolls then turned into kappa and dragged children into the river to kill them.

The lord of the Saga domain captured the kappa leader.

“Please, change me back into a wooden doll, and I’ll protect the children to atone,” the kappa leader said. The kappa was then turned into a wooden statue.

The statue had been placed near the top of the gate at Matsubara Shrine since its establishment about 250 years ago. People believed that if they passed under the gate, they would be safe from water accidents for a month.

However, about 50 years ago, the statue was moved indoors following various thefts of cultural artifacts.

The shrine recently decided to return the statue to its original place, hoping that it will prevent damage from floods and keep children safe.