A Japanese town has announced plans to replace a statue celebrating a legendary cryptid, known as a kappa, that has delighted and frightened visitors for nearly a decade. Given the affectionate moniker Gajiro, the depiction of the legendary aquatic creature reportedly 'lives' in a pond at the community of Fukusaki's Tsujikawayama Park. Cleverly designed to emerge from the water every 15 minutes, the faux kappa has dutifully performed the routine since 2016. However, as one might imagine, the 96 daily dips that account for a staggering 35,000 appearances per year have taken their toll on the fiberglass statue that now looks more than a little worse for wear. Specifically, the piece's paint is peeling, its hair is falling out, and its body is breaking down due to its aquatic 'habitat.'

Lamenting that they "can't bear to keep showing" Gajiro in such a sad state, Fukusaki officials have launched a crowdfunding campaign to replace the statue with a new version by the end of this year. One imagines that it will not be too difficult to muster up the money for a new kappa, as the sculpture serves as the centerpiece of the community's highly successful effort to position itself as the proverbial home of legendary Japanese creatures known as yokai. Fukusaki's claim to the unique title comes from being the birthplace of famed folklorist Kunio Yanagita, a figure roughly analogous to Charles Fort in American culture, who documented and popularized such mysterious beasts in the early 20th century.