05/18/2026
“What am I looking at?!” you might be asking. These are vintage, ceramic “kappa,” or river imps. Kappa are “yokai,” or monsters from Japanese folklore.
Growing up in Japan, I remember seeing their imagery on warning, signs near bodies of water. Their stories are meant to warn children of the dangers of water.
They’re definitely one of the scariest looking of all the yokai. They have shells like a turtle, beaks like a bird, and goofy bald heads. They like to eat cucumbers this sharing the name with the Japanese word for cucumber—“kappa.”
These two figures are a husband and wife set. They came from Kyushu island, and are supposed to bring luck to a home they are displayed in.
Available in my eBay store. Link in the bio.
