From 1972 to 1976 Kazuo Koike (1936-2018) wrote a 10-volume manga entitled "Kubikiri Asa (首斬り朝)", the "Samurai Executioner Asaemon". The police officer Sakane Kasajiro (坂根 傘次郎) and the rebellious young "Shinko the Kappa (河童の新子)" also appear there in supporting roles. The plot in the film is based on an episode of the manga. The film was first broadcast on Fuji TV in 1981 and was recently rerun on Amazon.
Title: Kasajiro & Shinko Criminal Stories - The Kappa Couple
Original title: 傘次郎・新子捕物日記 夫婦河童
English title: The Kappa marriage
Published: 1981
Length: 91 minutes
Staff
Director: Akira Inoue
Script: Tsutomu Nakamura
Cast
Tsunehiko Watase: Kasajiro
Mieko Harada: Shinko
Tatsuo Umemiya: Yamada Asaemon
Jun Eto: Kyonosuke Inaba
Kasajiro is a police officer in Edo. His father gave him the name Kasajiro because he is supposed to be the protection and umbrella (kasa) of the citizens. His jutte is stolen in the public bathroom. He has the impression that it could have been a Kappa. One after the other, five of his colleagues' jutte and his boss's sword are stolen. Each from the same person. It's a young woman named Shinko with a large Kappa tattoo on her back.
In the subplots, Kasajiro saves a debt-ridden prostitute who attempts suicide by jumping off a bridge. His sister is courted by a younger police officer. And when he comes back from vacation, he has to help catch another dangerous criminal. Kasajiro's special weapon is a throwing rope with a hook at the end.
Finally, a blackmail letter containing Kasajiro's jutte ends up at police headquarters. The return of the 5 remaining juttes and the sword is conditional on Shinko's father, a convicted thief, not being executed. Kasajiro then finds Shinko. There is an argument and Shinko even saves his life.
After some confusion, the unbelievable happens, which is already revealed in the title of the film. Kasajiro takes the initially reluctant Shinko as his wife.
The story is played quickly and also contains some irony.
Quote: "It's lucky your father died so early!" (So he doesn't have to experience his son being dishonored because his jutte was stolen.)
Kappa (河童 "river child") is a Japanese mythical creature that supposedly lives at the bottom of rivers. It is one of the most famous creatures in Japanese folklore. At the end of the 20th century it even became the unofficial national symbol of Japan.
As long as a kappa moves on land, it does not pose much of a threat to humans. It steals a number of crops from farmers. However, because it has an aversion to sesame, ginger, spit, iron, and gourds, it can be easily tricked and driven away by humans.
The Kappa becomes dangerous to people and animals when it is in the water. In some regions of Japan, people believed that if you eat cucumbers before swimming, you will definitely be attacked by a kappa, dragged underwater and drowned.
A Jutte (十手, "Ten Hands", incorrectly also Jitte) is a striking weapon that was used by the police during the Edo period.
It is a rod made of iron or brass about 45 cm long. There is an upward fork prong that can be used to stop a sword blade. There is often a tassel cord (総紐, fusahimo) on the handle, the color of which indicates the area of responsibility.
The jutte is still practiced in some Koryu today.