Kuchisake-onna

## 口裂け女 (*Kuchisake-onna*)

**Kuchisake-onna** (口裂け女, *****Kuchisake-onna*****β "Slit-Mouthed Woman") is a malevolent figure in Japanese urban legends and folklore. Described as the malicious spirit, or *onryō*, of a woman, she partially covers her face with a mask or other item and carries a pair of scissors, a knife, or some other sharp object. She is most often described as having long, straight, black hair, pale skin, and otherwise being considered beautiful (except for her scar). She has been described as a contemporary *yōkai*.

According to popular legend, she asks potential victims if they think she is beautiful. If they respond with "no", she will either kill them with her long medical scissors on the spot or wait until nightfall and murder them in their sleep. If they say "yes", she will reveal that the corners of her mouth are slit from ear to ear, and she will then repeat her question. If the individual responds with "no", she will kill them with her weapon, and if they say "yes" hesitantly she will cut the corners of their mouth in such a way that resembles her own disfigurement. Methods that can be used to survive an encounter with Kuchisake-onna include answering her question by describing her appearance as "average", or by distracting her with money or hard candies.

The Kuchisake-onna legend has been described as dating back to the 17th to 19th centuries, during Japan's Edo period. The story experienced a resurgence of awareness in 1970s Japan, when several newspapers and magazines reported on the legend and rumors surrounding it spread throughout the country, leading to young children being accompanied by groups of adults while walking home from school.

## The legend and its variations

According to legend, Kuchisake-onna was a woman who was mutilated during her life, with her mouth being slit from ear to ear. In some versions of the story, Kuchisake-onna was the adulterous wife or a mistress of a samurai during her life. She grew lonely as the samurai would always be away from home fighting, because of this, she would begin to have affairs with men around the town. When the samurai heard of this, he was outraged. As punishment for her infidelity, her husband sliced the corners of her mouth from ear to ear. Other versions of the tale include that her mouth was mutilated during a medical or dental procedure, that she was mutilated by a woman who was jealous of her beauty, or that her mouth is filled with numerous sharp teeth.

After her death, the woman returned as a vengeful spirit, or *onryō*. As an *onryō*, she covers her mouth with a cloth mask (often specified as a surgical mask), or in some iterations, a hand fan or handkerchief. She carries a sharp instrument with her, which has been described as a knife, a machete, a scythe, or a large pair of scissors. She is also described as having supernatural speed. She is said to ask potential victims if they think she is attractive, often phrased as "*Watashi, kirei?*" (which translates to "Am I pretty?" or "Am I beautiful?"). If the person answers "no", she will kill the person with her weapon, and if the person answers "yes", she will reveal her mutilated mouth. She then repeats her question (or asks "*Kore demo?*", which translates to "Even with this?" or "Even now?") and if the person responds with "no" or screams in fright, she will kill the person with her weapon. If the response is "yes", she will slice the corners of the person's mouth from ear to ear, resembling her own disfigurement.

An individual can survive an encounter with Kuchisake-onna by using one of several methods. In some versions of the legend, Kuchisake-onna will leave the potential victim alone if they answer "yes" to both of her questions, though in other versions, she will visit the individual's residence later that night and murder the person while sleeping. Other survival tactics include replying to Kuchisake-onna's question by describing her appearance as "average", giving the individual enough time to run away; distracting her by giving or throwing money or hard candies (particularly the kind of candy known as *bekko ame*, made of caramelized sugar) in her direction, as she will stop to pick them up; or by saying the word "pomade" three times.

## History

Author and folklorist Matthew Meyer has described the Kuchisake-onna legend as having roots dating back to Japan's Edo period, which spanned from the 17th to 19th centuries.

In print, the legend of Kuchisake-onna dates back to at least as early as 1979. The legend was reported in such publications as the Gifu Prefecture newspaper *Gifu Nichi Nichi Shinbun* on 26 January 1979, the weekly publication *Shukan Asahi* on 23 March 1979, and the weekly news magazine *Shukan Shincho* on 5 April 1979. Rumors about Kuchisake-onna spread throughout Japan, which led to young children sometimes being accompanied by members of parent–teacher association groups while walking home from school.

Historian and manga author Shigeru Mizuki considered Kuchisake-onna to be an example of a *yōkai*, a term which can refer to a variety of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore. According to Zack Davisson, a translator of many of Mizuki's works, "When Mizuki put her in one of his newest yokai encyclopedias, that's when she was officially considered a yokai."

## Appearance

Kuchisake-onna takes the appearance of a seemingly very beautiful, attractive woman with long black hair and heterochromia, giving her a black iris (left) and a turquoise iris (right). Kuchisake-onna is seen wearing a casually normal outfit that consists of a white long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and a white surgical mask. However, she every so often wears a brown trench coat. As cited in the texts, without the mask, Kuchisake-onna possesses a mouth cut from ear to ear, although it was sutured by Mana.

## Personality

Kuchisake-onna is a very dark and evil being that hunts mostly at night and preys on teenagers. However, she is seen to be neutral with Mana and is grateful to Mana due to him suturing her mouth that she did not know could be sutured at all.