Kappa (Gazu Hyakki Yagyō)

The kappa is depicted with a reptilian, mottled body, a head of thick, shaggy hair, and a distinct concave depression—a 'sara'—on the crown of its head. Its hands are webbed and raised, and it has a beak-like mouth. It is situated amidst large, stylized lotus leaves and flowers, which are rendered with fine, clean lines. The composition is a black-and-white print, using varied linework to suggest the texture of the creature's skin and the delicate structure of the plants.

This print is from Toriyama Sekien's 1776 encyclopedia 'Gazu Hyakki Yagyō' (Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons), a seminal work that codified the visual appearance of many yōkai in Japanese folklore.