Gagoze, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed name 元興寺 and complete composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual URL copied from the IIIF manifest.
Overview
Gagoze sprawls across a tiled roof in front of a large religious building. Its hands grip the roof edge with long claws, while two raised feet project behind the bent body. The face is partly turned toward the viewer, with prominent teeth and deeply drawn features. Ornamental eaves and a lattice window occupy much of the page. A large rounded area of the back contrasts with the angular roof and the creature’s thin extremities.
The heading 元興寺 is accompanied by a reading for the creature’s name. Sekien places its monstrous body directly on temple architecture, giving the image a different context from an unnamed house. The illustration verifies this named temple-associated portrayal. It does not by itself reproduce the complete story of the temple or establish the date when any earlier narrative first circulated.
Origins & earliest records
Toriyama Sekien includes the named illustration in Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, first published in 1776. The inspected Smithsonian Libraries copy is the 1805 edition; publication is distinguished from the age of an oral tradition.
Records & interpretation
Printed title and composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution in the institutional digitization. Observations describe the historical image rather than an uncited encounter story.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Gazu Hyakki Yagyō
Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 14 (zero-based); printed name 元興寺.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Gazu Hyakki Yagyō
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries 1805 edition. IIIF canvas index 14 (zero-based)
Printed name 元興寺 and complete composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual URL copied from the IIIF manifest.
Encyclopedia background
An additional attributed reference, separate from the editorial profile above.
Read the open encyclopedia overview
Gagoze (元興寺), also gagoji, guwagoze, gangō, and gangōji no oni (元興寺の鬼, the oni of gangōji) is a yōkai said to have appeared at Gangō-ji in the Nara Prefecture around the Asuka period. It can also be found in the text of the Heian period Nihon Ryōiki (in the story, 雷の憙を得て生ま令めし子の強き力在る縁," On a Boy of Great Strength Who Was Born of the Thunder’s Rejoicing"), the Honchō Monzui, among others. In classical yōkai drawings such as the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Toriyama Sekien, it is depicted as an oni with the appearance of a monk.
Text from Wikipedia contributors, “Gagoze”. CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted introduction; formatting changed. Retrieved 5 October 2026. The source article may have changed since retrieval.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Institutional primary-book recordSmithsonian Libraries — historical illustrated volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Direct primary illustrationNamed primary plate: 元興寺Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationGagoze, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed name 元興寺 and complete composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual URL copied from the IIIF manifest.
