河かわ太た郎ろう

noun

kappa; water imp

A mythical water-dwelling creature from Japanese folklore, often depicted as a child-sized humanoid with a dish-like depression on its head. 河太郎 is a common name for kappa, especially in certain regions. The reading かわたろう is standard; variants like がわたろう and がたろう exist in dialects or older texts.

See also: 河童

• 昔むかし話ばなしにはよく河かわ太た郎ろうが出でてくる。

  Kappa often appear in old folktales.

• この川かわには河かわ太た郎ろうが住すんでいるという言いい伝つたえがある。

  There is a legend that a kappa lives in this river.