Kappa is a yôkai from Japanese mythology. The name is a combination of the word "kawa" (river) and "wappa" an inflection of "warabe" (child). Along with the oni and the tengu, the kappa is among the best-known yōkai in Japan.
Kappa are aquatic reptilian humanoids that inhabit the rivers and streams found all over Japan. Clumsy on land, they are at home in the water, where they thrive during the warm months.
