Good Luck Charms of Edo

“Kappa of Asakusa - Messengers of Good Fortune”

Sougenji Temple where the legend of kappa lives on.

At Sougenji Temple, the birthplace of the legend of kappa, is known to provide a protection against water-related accidents and disasters. The visitors are welcomed by wooden and stone statues of kappa as they enter the grounds of temple. Inside the Kappa-Do Hall is a hanging scroll of Kappa Dai-Myojin, the temple’s honzon, the principal object of worship. The temple also has what it caims to be a mummified hand of a kappa complete with 4 fungers and sharp nails.