Spot

       Tsujikawa-machi is the birthplace of Yanagita Kunio (1875–1962), a famous Japanese scholar and folklorist. His childhood home is now owned by the city of Fukusaki and is open to the public.

        In his study of regional lore, Yanagita showed particular interest in tales involving yokai, or supernatural creatures. Accordingly, the nearby Tsujikawa-yama Park has numerous yokai statues and two moving yokai attractions. Every fifteen minutes a trio of river monsters (kappa) rise out of the pond; a few minutes later, a winged tengu flies out of a small tower. Signs located around the park explain the statues and even include stories characterizing the particular yokai that reside there.