Gangikozō

Gangikozō
Gangikozō (岸涯小僧 – River Terrace Boy) is a type of yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.
This creature is said to catch fish by the river side. Eating them with teeth as sharp as rasps.
A lot of wordplay is used in the name of this creature. gangi-yasuri is a rough-toothed rasp from a toolbox and gangi is a ramp down to the waters edge.
The illustration is perhaps based off a piece of literature by Normoto Dōgen (1655-1714). This book, called sugi yōji, dating to 1679 describes a statue of a boy eating a fish on the anniversay of his fathers death whilst wearing gangi-shibori.1
External Links
- View the book online here: Konjaku Hyakki Shūi Online.
Footnotes
1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
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