Kappa Bridge Nagano Prefecture

All throughout Japan, there are rivers and bridges named after kappa... but the "Kappa Bridge" near Kamikochi, Nagano Prefecture, is probably the most famous. It is the bridge over the Azusa River. It is crossed every Summer by bustling crowds of climbers headed to the Japan Alps. All these visitors are familiar with this bridge. A note from the translator This area is the initial setting for a famous short story called "Kappa", written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (author of "Rashomon"). It's hard to say whether Akutagawa chose this bridge and river because they were well-known, or if the bridge and river are well-known because he used them in the story.

Sources: Kappa, Tengu, Oni Zorozoro HYAKKA (Kappa, Tengu, Oni Encyclopedia) 1985 Gakken, pg. 21

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