it; thus he placed the suiko and kawatarō as separate (though adjacent) entries. The artist Sekien, who followed after this encyclopedia, also illustrated the two creatures separately. However, many herbal medicinalist scholars, etc., during Japan's Edo Period equated the suiko with the kappa. Hence suiko became a synonym or alias for kappa or kawatarō. But it is not clear if the shuihu of China and the kappa of Japan share a common origin. The synonymous usage can be found in Ono Ranzan's commentary, which was on the topic of the suiko (shuihu), but also discussed the creature's love of sumo-wrestling usually associated with the Japanese kappa; he also included various collected lore on the suiko (i.e., kappa) found from his fieldwork or information gathering conducted in Japan. An illustrated work entitled was in fact a catalogue of kappa legends and testimonies. In parts of Aomori Prefecture, the kappa have been deified and enshrined by the name of suiko-sama. See also kappa Explanatory notes References Citations Bibliography External links Chinese legendary creatures Kappa (folklore)