The Deep of the River Sprites (Kappa) (Fishing with Dynamite)
1958 - 1963

Kappa-ga-guchi (Dainamaito no Sakanatori)
[The Deep of the River Sprites (Kappa) (Fishing with Dynamite)]
21.0 x 29.9 cm Ink Painting

There were so many fish in this dangerous deep that men at the coal pit could not stop eagerly trying to catch them. Some of them stole some dynamite for underground work, dreaming to catch a large number of fish in burst. Some of them tried to throw dynamite after igniting the attached fuse into the deep. However, their dynamite exploded before leaving their hands and blew them off. Even such men who received minor injuries each lost about three fingers including their thumb. I saw five or six men without their right hand only in K Coal Pit. It was said that there were ten or more such people in the pit, and that no one succeeded in catching fish by using dynamite. They seem to have reconciled themselves to their wounds, saying that they were cursed by the kappa (a fabulous river sprite that supposedly drowns swimmers).

Creator's Additional Notes
It is said that the stronger the resistance is to the explosion, the greater the explosive power of the dynamite becomes. Even the dynamite which exploded underwater shook the river banks like an earthquake. It goes without saying that the police at that time strictly regulated the use of dynamite as well as other explosives. It is because the dynamite exploded in the air without any resistance when the above men tried to throw it that they lost only their hand and survive. (Note: In this case, the length of the train attached to the dynamite had to be about eight centimeters long. The fish in the river would run away if the dynamite thrown into it did not explode immediately.)
We cannot see any remains of this Kappa-ga-guchi today because it disappeared after the river improvement construction work around 1915. It was located near the place where today's Kamimio Station stands.

Text at the Bottom Left
According to the present theory, no kappa exists in the world. However, I cannot help but feel that this Kappa-ga-guchi alone was mysterious. It was said that dozens of people had drowned there before that time. All of the people injured in the dynamite explosions became afraid of the deep.

Lettering at the Top
Dogan!: Boom!


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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