West Japan town's 'kappa' folklore creature to be replaced after years of scaring tourists
To fund the replacement of Gajiro the kappa, the Hyogo Prefecture town of Fukusaki has turned to a crowdfunding campaign based on Japan's "hometown tax" donation program. A town official said, "We hope this will be an opportunity for more people to learn about Gajiro's hard work." Donations will be accepted through Sept. 30.
Gajiro was "captured" in February 2014 in the pond at Tsujikawayama Park, a site in Fukusaki that is known for its kappa legends. The creature was tasked by the town to rise above the surface of the pond every 15 minutes during the day, a job he has "faithfully" performed without a single day off. His appearance, so realistic that it makes some children cry, drew attention and helped Fukusaki promote itself as a "town of yokai," or Japanese folklore creatures. As a result, the number of tourists visiting roughly tripled.
The statue is about 1 meter tall and made of fiber-reinforced plastic. A second version was created in 2016 and has been used after several repairs, but it is now approaching the end of its lifespan. Constant exposure to water has caused its body to deteriorate, the surface to peel, and its hair to turn green and frizzy, which is starting to fall out. The town decided to work on a third version as they "can't bear to keep showing him in this peeled skin condition."
The Fukusaki Municipal Government set a fundraising goal of 1.7 million yen (about $11,600) and aims to complete the new statue by the end of the year. The campaign uses "Government Crowdfunding," which allows people to support local government projects, through the hometown tax website Furusato Choice, operated by Trustbank Inc.
People who donate 2,000 yen (roughly $14) will receive a postcard handwritten by Gajiro expressing thanks. Like regular hometown tax donations, contributors can also receive local specialties as gifts in return. For more inquiries, contact the town's regional promotion division at 0790-22-0560 (in Japanese).
(Japanese original by Nobuya Muramoto, Himeji Bureau)
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