Travel Fukusaki to replace 'kappa' statue after years of frightening tourists

In the town of Fukusaki in western Japan, a well-loved but slightly unsettling figure is preparing for retirement. Gajiro, a kappa (河童) — a mischievous water creature from Japanese folklore — has spent the past decade springing up from a pond every 15 minutes to startle and amuse visitors at Tsujikawayama Park. Now, after years of dedicated "service," his mechanical body is showing signs of wear, and the town has decided it's time for a replacement. To help fund Gajiro's successor, Fukusaki is turning to a crowdfunding campaign through Japan's hometown tax donation system. A town official explained, "We hope this will give people a chance to learn about all the hard work Gajiro has done over the years." Donations will be accepted until 30 September.

Gajiro first "appeared" in the pond in February 2014, honouring the town's connection to yokai (妖怪), supernatural beings from Japanese folklore. Despite his eerie realism — he's known to make some children cry — Gajiro quickly became a beloved local character. His regular appearances helped brand Fukusaki as a town of yokai, leading to a sharp rise in tourism, with visitor numbers nearly tripling thanks to his spooky charm.

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."

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More on kappa:

Gajiro is back!

A pond in a local park is now home to a newly updated version of Gajiro (ガジロウ), the kappa, a long-standing local mascot inspired by Japanese folklore, following the retirement of its ageing predecessor. After the old figure deteriorated over time, the town launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund a replacement. With support from residents and fans, the new Gajiro was unveiled in the pond at Tsujikawayama Park in December. Local officials hope the mascot will continue to add character to the town for years to come.



This latest Gajiro is the third version, standing around 90 centimetres tall and made from reinforced plastic. Its overall design closely follows the previous model, but the new figure has a more pronounced shirikodama, a wider open mouth, and a brighter red finish.

Gajiro was "captured" in the park's pond on Feb. 14, 2014, and has since "worked" year-round, leaping from the pond every 15 minutes during the day. After alternating shifts with the second-generation model, Gajiro was fully replaced in 2023. However, constant submersion caused the successor's body to deteriorate, with peeling surfaces and hair that shrank and began to fall out. From July to September last year, the town ran a hometown tax-type crowdfunding campaign, raising about 3.13 million yen (approx. $19,800) -- far surpassing the 1.7 million yen (about $10,750) goal, including direct donations. The surplus funds will be used to repair the second-generation Gajiro, which may be installed near the giant Komaga-iwa rock on the riverbank in the town's Minamitawara district, which is associated with local kappa legends.

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