Kappa, by Akutagawa Ryunosuke - Book Review
The Intriguing Satirical Short Story of A Japanese Folktale Creature
Nov 2, 2009
Kappa is an intriguing story written by a renowned Japanese writer, Akutagawa Ryunosuke. It is a must read for those who take pleasure in exploring eastern value and cultures, particularly from Japan.
Kappa, a River Child
Kappa, a river-child, in Japanese is a legendary creature living in ponds or rivers, and often appears in folklore. Kappa have a body of green and appear a half human and half frog with a flat top with a very short bob style hair hanging down in a slapdash fashion. These small child-size creatures are often described as strong, mischievous, witty,loyal, but at times can possess evil tendencies. It is also said to be created as god of river in the Shinto belief (Shinto is an indigenous Japanese religion).
Akutagawa Mocks Human Society in the Eyes of Kappa
An eccentric genius, who suffered from mental deterioration (as his mother had), the Japanese writer, Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892- 1927) cleverly and sarcastically brought a legendary folklore creature into play to mock human society in his short story called Kappa. The intriguing story became one of his last works before he took his own life.
Akutagawa’s writings maintained and analyzed unfathomable aspects behind the world of superficiality in human society. Considering his deeply introspective writing style, the story includes the following passage spoken by an elder kappa who attempts to sermonize a younger one ; “There are three things in life that determine your destiny – your (religious) belief, circumstance, and mere luck.”
Akutagawa, perhaps being tormented by his uncontrollable personal and external circumstances, tried to convey his lack of beliefs both as a disappointment and blessing. No matter how much effort one makes, Akutagawa puts across, it is impossible to control your circumstances and how much luck you would have in your lifetime.
Maybe that, we, humans, as a mere existence of a working reproductive system have become too smart for its (human’s) own good? Throughout the story, various kappa characters are depicted as doctors, philosophers, business owners, artists, poets, journalists, etc., all of which represent different roles played in human society. Some commit suicide, steal, and debate about the death sentence, politics, art, music, relationships between opposite sexes, and labor issues.
Akutagawa never fails to call attention to human condition that is too smart for its own good in the story. In the society where laws and culture are created by kappa, a wealthy factory owner is legally permitted to fire any workers and eat them for super. Accused of bizarre behavior by a human acquaintance, a young kappa responds by pointing the finger at underage prostitution in human society, and says, “You are being too pessimistic (kansho shyugi).”
The most outrageous routine in the kappa society is the process of birth. In front of a doctor and midwives, father is supposed to ask an unborn baby prior to birth if he or she wants to be born. “”Do you really want to be born? Think carefully and answer me!” Father places his ear right next to mother’s vagina and waits for an answer. If the baby decides not to be born due to his father’s disease or other reasons, the baby has a right to have a lethal injection to die inside mother’s womb.
Akutagawa’s Suicide
The story is mostly narrated by a young human male who has been admitted to a psychiatric ward, and tells everyone he has been to a kappa society. Akutagawa took his own life at age 35 in July of 1927. This story was written in the same year he decided to leave the reality, the reality that he perceived it to be – a reality made of circumstances and luck. Prior to his death, he noted that he had “an ambiguous anxiety about his future.” His words overlap with ambivalence the kappa society, seemingly organized and intelligent, while chaotic and barbaric, in which many events and actions have embellishing effects of human society.
An Intriguing Story with Cynically Insightful Satire of Human Condition
Kappa by Akutagawa Ryunosuke is a must read for anyone who admires cynically insightful satire which is in fact rather more accurate representation of human condition than what it is made up to be by popular media or abundant products of ever increasing materialism.
Akutagqwa’s Kappa is beyond a doubt an intellectually stimulating work and it is vital to read between the lines to understand his introspective thoughts. Akutagawa has chosen kappa as his main characters, not dogs or cats to mock human society. Kappa, a frog like river child, has lived through Japanese culture of secluded islands for centuries. July is a month of pouring rainy season in Japan; Akutagawa left the world with the sound of rain and perhaps hearing the voices of kappa calling him to their world.
Kappa Tuttle Publishing 2000 (ISBN-10: 080483251X ISBN-13: 9780804832519, 144 pages)
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