&, However ...

[Timotheos]

Kappa were a sort of goblin with a bird's head and wings.  These would make cool figures.

Whoops, I was thinking of Tengu, which have the bird heads.

Kappa are water goblins.

From Wikipedia:

Most depictions show kappa as child-sized humanoids, though their bodies are often more like those of monkeys or frogs than human beings. Some descriptions say their faces are apelike, while others show them with beaked visages more like those of tortoises or with duck beaks. Pictures usually show kappa with thick shells and scaly skin that ranges in color from green to yellow or blue.

Kappa supposedly inhabit the ponds and rivers of Japan and have various features to aid them in this environment, such as webbed hands and feet. They are sometimes even said to smell like fish, and they can certainly swim like them. The expression kappa-no-kawa-nagare ("a kappa drowning in a river") conveys the idea that even experts make mistakes.

[Knightmo]

Ah, yes. Thanks for the additions, Tim.

With such a variety of possibilities, I would hope the ninja theme stays minimal.

You are right that Fu dogs are Chinese, but similar variations were copied to other cultures including Japanese. The japanese one starts with a 'k', I think.

The versions of Kappa I ve seen have pools of water in the top of their heads, and if it spills out they are in trouble.

-Palanquins, I think they are called, would be cool.

-Also, a weapon/tool used by both farmers and warriors--Kama(short sythe).

-A japanese garden would be super cool, even if only a small set.

-Yabusame, horseback archery.


...and if this is done, it can be blended with current themes to bring in the Meji era.

See, Playmobil..such possibilities!