Visit HYOGO

Fukusaki Town in Hyogo Prefecture is known as the “yokai town” (yokai are creatures that appear in Japanese folklore). Tsujikawayama Park is a particularly popular location in this town.

In this park, you’ll find the kappa brothers Gataro and Gajiro, beloved by the people of the town. Kappa are mythical water-dwelling creatures, and Gataro appears in “Kokyo Nanajunen” (Seventy Years of My Hometown), a book written by the folklorist Kunio Yanagita, who was originally from this town. The book recollects the author’s time living by the Tsujikawa River in Fukusaki when he was young, and his own life.

Gataro, the older kappa brother, is immobile beside the pond because the plate on his head has dried out, while the younger brother Gajiro emerges from the water every 15 minutes (0 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes) between 09:00 and 18:00! His figure, suddenly popping up with a splash, will surely give you a surprise.

And Gajiro also comes and goes between the station and park through a secret tunnel...

There are eyewitness reports of Gajiro in front of JR Fukusaki Station too.

“Yokai benches,” with unique yokai statues, are also dotted around the park. Tsujikawayama Park is a place that everyone, regardless of their age or gender, can enjoy. Try heading on a fun yokai hunt, walking around and discovering which yokai you can find together with your travel companions.