Kouji Yamada

Kouji Yamada (山田光司, Yamada Kouji) is a man fascinated with gothic structures in Europe and originally worked as a photographer, but it is said his only ability with the camera was to photograph ghosts. He is also known by his given nickname, "Damayaji" (ダマヤジ).

Appearance
Kouji has a unique hairstyle, with his hair split into two spikes pointing upwards and according to Usui Horokeu, he resembles a vampire more than his teammate, Boris Tepes Dracula.

His typical attire was a long black and red cloak (Blue in the anime), worn over black pants and black boots.

Five years before the Shaman Fight, his hair was much longer, and fashioned into a ponytail, which he humorously claimed that Boris had copied from him.

Personality
He is a man who cares for the beauty of nature, which is why Asakura Hao wanted him on his team. Yamada also enjoyed drinking alcohol and eating crabs.

Spirit

 * See More: Crab Spirit | Centipede Spirit (Anime Only)

His guardian ghost was the nature spirit of a red king crab. They got on well because Kouji himself resembled a hermit crab. In the anime, his spirit was instead that of a centipede like creature.

Past
Kouji Yamada once used to be a photographer and he would always visited famous monuments and historic ruins. It was during one of these trips that he was visited by the nine year old Asakura Hao, who sympathized with his care for the nature and therefor wanted Yamada to join him.

Travel Through America
He was first introduced when Asakura Yoh and his friends finally found the old Patch Village. There he, Boris, and Team "Tsuki-Gumi" approached Yoh and his friends with orders from Hao to kill all of the Shamans present there except for Yoh.

However, after Horohoro claimed and laughed that he looked more like a vampire than Boris, his partner stabs him through the chest, and then disintegrated him into dust.

Invading the Plants
He is seen on the Soul Train within the Great Spirit next to Boris and asks Hao if his Shaman only world was supposed to be on Earth.

Anime/Manga Difference


Damayaji had a different, albeit similar role in the anime. He was first seen with Hao and the rest of his followers, and then later during the encounter with Boris while posing as a priest. He proceeds to tell Yoh and the others about Boris Tepes Dracula's false background story, even pretending to be on Yoh's side. Later on, he appears in a dark basement, after kidnapping both Ellie and Millie. He proceeds to attack them, but is shortly killed by Boris. Also in the anime, his spirit appears to be a centipede-like spirit instead of a crab spirit.

In the 4Kids dub, his death was censored, as well as his cross.