Gangi-kozo – 岸涯小僧 – [Yokai]

Description

Gangi-kozo – 岸涯小僧 – [yokai]

• About this yokai: a hairy river kappa known for its particuarly long sharp teeth &  for hanging around fishing peirs by the rivers edge. – it eats fish, which it often greedily consumes, head first. when fisherman encounter one, they throw it their biggest catch, and then run away asap!!!

• History & early appearances: Gangi kozo’s earliest mention & Original appearance was a part of Toriyama Sekien’s Gazu hyakki yagyo [1779] not much is written other than “its got sharp teeth & that it enjoys eating fish” most of its lore is assumed from its name. – Short stone piers leading down to waters edges are also known as “Gangi” and the “Kozo” is a nick name for “young monks.” (its sorta like saying ‘youngster’) – According to Mizuki Shigeru, it can also be called “Gear-tooth” (雁木小僧.) particularly because of how its sharp teeth are: a “Gangi-yashuri” is a rough, chizel like tool commonly used in netsuke carving, woodworking & carpentry.

[as it appears in Toriyama Sekiens, Gazu hyakki yagyo [1779]

Even though this is the only early mention of “gangi-kozo” as a yokai in particular, There are several similarly described kappa with especially hairy appearances & sharp teeth, as such it’s often said to be yet another “transitional form” of kappa.