Kappa Monster!

"Hello! Are you ready to order?"
Customer: "Yes, I'd like a kappamaki please..."

Ah. A kappamaki. A cucumber sushi roll. A favoured food of the Japanese river demon/god Kappa. They're not big guys, Kappas, and they've got holes in their heads. More like a holding tank, actually. As their power comes from water, they must keep water in the indentation atop their heads when venturing onto land.

SCI FI Kappa man!

And when a Kappa hits town he's usually up to no good. Peeking up women's kimonos and farting loudly are minor offenses. A Kappa in a bad mood has been known to kidnap and drown children. They then feed on their victim's livers and entrails by yanking them out of their butts. I swear I am not making this up....


A Kappa in a good mood however may be willing to engage in a friendly sumo match. It's also believed that friendly Kappa were the first to teach humans how to set bones and make traditional medicines. They are also polite to a fault. Chance encounter with a Kappa? Bow. As deeply as possible. The Kappa will always bow back (even deeper to show greater respect) In doing so he will lose the water he carries around on his head and be powerless. Once you have captured him he will be a hard working and loyal servant.

Cute Kappa

Sanbiki has a resident Kappa....Our friend Mr. Kanto in Japan made him out of rolled tissue paper! Like Masato, he prefers rugby to sumo. He's on display at the restaurant along with many other original art works. I think our Kappa is the friendly sort...


We'll try to keep our blogs coming a couple times a month. We enjoy sharing information about Japanese food and culture and the many links between the two. We have a great team at the restaurant and next door at Mori Mori Grocery. We'll include them and their experiences in future blogs. Join us for a KAPPAMAKI soon!