Kappa (河 童, Kappa "tributary"), called also Gatarō (川 太郎, Gatarō "tributary") or Kawako (川 子, Kawako "tributary"), are creatures of legend, a kind of fairy water that is found in folklore Japan. Yet those are also considered as part of Cryptozoology is caused by several apparitions. In their Shinto flow is considered as one of the many suijin (literally "water god").

Most of the images showed a kappa as child-sized humanoid, though their bodies are more like monkeys or frogs than human. Some of the information stated on their faces like apes, while others show them with beaked face that looks more like a turtle or duck. The pictures usually display cangkan kappa with thick, scaly skin with a color between green to yellow or blue.

Kappa occupy ponds and rivers of Japan and has a range of views to help them in this environment, such as webbed hands and feet. They are sometimes also called a smell like fish, and they can swim like them. Expression of kappa-no-sphere-nagare ("a kappa drowning in the river") has announced any intention that even experts make mistakes.

Something that most can be recorded from Kappa, however, is a hollow filled with water over their heads. Cavity-cavity is surrounded by thin hair, and this type of haircut named okappa-nakhluk atama of these creatures. Kappa get their incredible strength of fluid-filled holes, and they are dealing with it can exploit this weakness by making the kappa to spill the water from their heads. Kappa has a deep sense of ethics, so a method which is believed to attract attention, for a kappa can not be longer than that in the back with bows, although this resulted in the loss of water head in the process. When finished, Kappa weakened and may die. Another story says that this water allows kappa to move on land, and when empty, this creature can not move. Stubborn children were encouraged to follow the habit of bowing down to the ground which is a defense against kappa.

Kappa is a mischievous troublemaker. Ridicule which they started from the relatively harmless, like a loud fart atay considering women's kimono, until a more dangerous, such as stealing crops, kidnapping children, or raping women. In fact, small children was one of the gluttonous kappa's favorite meals, although they will also eat the adults, too. They take these poor victims by sucking keluat shirikodama (尻 子 玉, shirikodama?) (Or intestinal, blood, liver, or "life force," depending on the legend) through the anus. Even now, the signs of the dangers of kappa that emerged with the body of water in some towns and villages of Japan. Kappa also mentioned the fear of fire, and some villages hold fireworks festivals each year in order to frighten these spirits.

Kappa is not entirely antagonistic to humans, however. They are curious about the human civilization, and their biases understand and speak Japanese. They sometimes challenge anyone who met in various skills, such as Shogi or sumo wrestling. They may also make friends with humans in exchange for the gifts and offerings, especially cucumbers, food dikethui kappa can enjoy more than human children. Japanese parents sometimes write the name of the community for their children (or themselves) on mentimu and threw it into the waters in which there kappa in order to persuade them and allow his family to bathe. There is even a kind of cucumber sushi rolls contents dinaman kappa, kappamaki.
Once friends, kappa is known to do a variety of jobs for people, such as helping farmers irrigate the fields. They also have knowledge in the field of medicine, and legend states that they taught the art back into position on human bones. Because some aspects of this kindness, several temples built to worship the Kappa particularly helpful. Kappa can also be duped into helping people. With a strong sense of courtesy would not allow them to violate the oath, for example, if a man can cheat up to promises to help him kappa, kappa no choice but to follow it.