Katawaguruma

Overview

Katawaguruma combines a large spoked wheel with a woman seated among streaming flames. Her long hair falls behind a face turned downward, and the fiery outline stretches across the lower half of the scene. A small bare foot projects on the right, while the wheel dominates the left. Above it, a hanging lantern and the roofline of a building establish a roadside setting.

The printed name 片輪車 differentiates this single-wheel apparition from Wanyūdō, the separate wheel-and-face subject in the following plate. Here the body of a woman is central to the picture. The two images should not be merged solely because both use a burning wheel. The explanatory passage is present on the page, but the current profile describes the directly inspected composition rather than an unverified full translation.

Origins & earliest records

Named illustration in Toriyama Sekien’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki, first published in 1779. The historical Smithsonian Libraries copy is the inspected witness; book publication is not a claim about the earliest oral tradition.

Records & interpretation

Printed name and complete composition individually inspected in an enlarged historical scan. Explanatory prose is not presented as a fully checked transcription.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki

   Toriyama Sekien · 1779; historical digitized edition

   Volume 2; IIIF canvas index 10 (zero-based); printed name 片輪車.

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

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Institutional primary-book recordSmithsonian Libraries — historical illustrated volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. Direct primary illustrationNamed primary plate: 片輪車Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Katawaguruma, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed name 片輪車 and composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual image URL taken from the IIIF manifest.