A town where people live with kappa? The biggest tool street in Japan. I visited Kappabashi Tool Street in Asakusa.

If you search for places related to yokai in Tokyo, you will generally find something interesting.
I came here.
Recently (May 3, 2015) on NHKCOOL JAPANBut it was just picked up.
Known as the number one tool street in Japan, it is lined with unique and cool tool shops.
Asakusa Kappabashi Shopping Street.Kappabashi Kitchen Street!!Daaaaang.
This is Kappabashi Shopping Street, as the name suggests.
It seems that the water monster "kappa" has been the symbol of the town.
Is there any origin story behind the kappa?
After some research, it appears that there are several theories, but there are two main ones.

1. The theory that it comes from raincoats
   At the time, the Edo Castle lord's residence was located near Kappabashi Bridge, and on sunny days, small-time samurai and foot soldiers would bring raincoats they had made as side jobs to the nearbybridgeIt was named Kappabashi (Kappa Bridge) because clothes were lined up to dry on the bridge.
2. The theory that kappa helped the town
   During the Edo period, Asakusa was a low-lying marshland close enough to the sea that seaweed could be harvested, and there was an artificial river that was dug as a drainage ditch for the surrounding area. However, as you may remember from the recent heavy rain disaster, it would flood immediately after heavy rain and cause epidemics. Kappa-ya Kihachi, who found this problem troubling, started construction work to prevent the river from flooding. Then, the kappas, touched by the man's spirit, helped him out night after night until the construction was completed, and this is the origin of the legend.

Looking at it this way, and not being biased as someone who deals with yokai, I find the latter to be much more exciting.
The people in the town also seem to be fans of the legend of the second kappa, and those who see the kappa coming every night believe that their business will be successful.
A golden statue of Kappa Kawataro was erected in the shopping arcade.

 
There are also kappa statues all over the city.
Something that slowly builds up.

 
 
 
A troubled feeling. Or something.

 
Why did you end up in this pose?

Well, as you can see, it's full of kappa.
Even when I went to Tono in Iwate Prefecture, I wasn't so keen on kappa.
Kappabashi Shopping Street's "Kappa Love" is something you can see (laughs)
In Cool Japan, a foreign journalist commented on his impressions after visiting the area.
Japanese people do not treat monsters, who are the incarnations of disasters and calamities, as scary things.
I was surprised that I could tolerate and even love it.
This Japanese temperament is what makes Japan so Cool.
There's one other thing that wasn't mentioned on TV.
Living with Yokai is Living with the Environment (Nature)It is also true.
This is very important.

Creating an environment full of water and greenery, where "kappa's dishes never dry out."
What a great catch. It brings me to tears.
If you think business and the environment are unrelated,
The environment will surely be neglected and dried up. To prosper in business, we must also take care of the environment.
If the plate on a kappa's head dries out, it will die.
The same is true for us. If the foundational environment deteriorates, the business is almost certain to fail.
Our ancestors prayed to the gods for rain and for business success,
They have coexisted with nature, even relying on the power of monsters rather than gods.
I did.Merchant baseWe continue to value this tradition even today.
This Kappabashi shopping street, or rather the whole of Asakusa, has that kind of temperament.
Even now, the place is full of style and vitality.
It's a wonderful town filled with stylish craftsmen who hone their skills for the good of others.
I hope everyone will visit Kappabashi Kitchen Street.
We have all the good stuff (tools) you need!
Well, the flooding that occurred in early September, especially in the Kinugawa River, has caused a lot of trouble.
How small the power of man is in comparison with the power of nature, both now and in the past
We were made to realize this, but in fact, when it comes to water-based monsters,
This is also related to the history of flood control in Japan, so I will talk about it in a later blog.
I would also like to touch on the history of flood control.
 
Bonus: Food samplesSato SampleA snap at the cafe♪
It tastes like real beer, right?