🗺️ Kappa Pond (Jōken-ji)

The location of Jōken-ji Temple in the Tōno area of Iwate Prefecture is known as a land of folklore, featuring tales such as "Mikoshirō," "Kappa Legends," and "Zashiki-warashi," which served as the backdrop for the stories in "Tōno Monogatari" (author: Kunio Yanagita). The book contains many stories about kappa, one of which is set in "Kappa Pond." Jōken-ji was founded in 1490 and is an ancient temple of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. Behind the temple, a small stream known as "Kappa Pond" flows, where legends tell of many kappa living there in ancient times, often appearing to tease people. Kappa Pond is surrounded by lush greenery, creating an atmosphere where it wouldn't be surprising if kappa were to appear. Within the grounds of Jōken-ji, there is a pair of komainu (guardian lion-dogs) that have round depressions on their heads. When water collects in these depressions, they resemble the plates on a kappa's head, earning them the name "Kappa Komainu." There is also a story that during a fire at the temple, kappa appeared to help extinguish the flames, leading to the worship of this pair of Kappa Komainu.

In Tono City, there are many legends about kappa, with the most famous attraction being "Kappa Pond." Inside Jokan-ji Temple, you can also see the rare kappa komainu. Additionally, there is a "Kappa Capture Permit," and if you capture a kappa and go to the Tono City Tourism Association, you can receive 10 million yen! It takes just a 7-minute walk from "Kappa Pond" to reach the folklore exhibition facility "Denshō-en," where you can learn about Tono's local stories.