Children in Coal Pits (Yama) #5: The Deep of River Sprites
1958 - 1963

Yama no Kodomo #5: Kappa-ga-guchi
[Children in Coal Pits (Yama) #5: The Deep of River Sprites]
21.0 x 30.0 cm Ink Painting

Kappa-ga-guchi was about 500 meters west of K Coal Pit and about 100 meters up from Ippongi Dam of the Kama River. The winding river naturally stagnated at this point and it became so wide and deep that it looked as if it were a lake. It was said that a lot of kappas had lived there since long ago, pulling many people into the deep and drowning them. Even the people at that time (1901 or 1902) sometimes saw victims who drowned to death. They were reconciled to these deaths, considering them the work of kappas.
Even if there were no kappas, it was a really weird deep. The bamboo on the banks grew very thick because nobody would cut it, and the bamboo leaves shaking in the wind as if they were dancing were reflected in the river. When I stood on the bank and saw the blue sky, the green bamboo leaves, and the blue water of the river, I felt an unusually eerie atmosphere and almost shuddered at the thought of kappas lurking in the deep. Even naughty children in the pit would not thoughtlessly jump in the deep. (It was said that the kappa would pull a man into the water and insert its hand into his anus to extract his internal organs.) By the way, the deep was rich in fish because no one dared to fish and disturb kappas there. Both adults and children wondered how to fish in the deep.

Other Lettering (Right to Left)
"Anchan, Ippongi ni ikoya (Brother, let's go to Ippongi)."
sunahama: sands
"Omae, haire (Hey, you, jump in the river)!"'
"Iyan, ejii (No, I'm scared)!"'


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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