Gangi Kozo

In Japanese folklore, gangi kozo translates as 'riverbank priest boy.' These yokai live beside rivers, hunting and eating fish. They are hairy, monkey-like creatures with webbed hands and toes and very sharp teeth. They are believed to be related to the kappa.

If fishermen encounter a gangi kozo, they offer them their largest fish to avoid problems. Some suggest that kappa transform from water spirits to mountain spirits when the seasons change & gangi kozo are a transitional form of these yokai.

Toriyama Sekien