Kuchisake-onna
A vengeful spirit who asks if she is beautiful before attacking.
Kuchisake-onna, which translates to "Slit-Mouthed Woman," is a vengeful spirit from Japanese urban legends and folklore. She is a type of malicious ghost known as an onryō. This figure typically hides part of her face behind a mask or another object to conceal a scar, and she wields a sharp tool such as scissors, a knife, or a similar weapon. She is often considered a modern example of a yōkai, a category of supernatural creatures in Japanese tradition.
Her appearance is generally described as that of a tall woman, standing between 175 and 180 centimeters (about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches), though some accounts claim she can reach up to 243.84 centimeters (8 feet). She has long, straight black hair, pale skin, and white hands, and aside from her disfigurement, she is considered beautiful. According to the legend, she approaches potential victims and asks if they find her attractive, often phrasing the question as "Watashi, kirei?" (meaning "Am I pretty?" or "Am I beautiful?"). If the person answers "no," she kills them immediately with her weapon or waits until nightfall to murder them in their sleep. If they answer "yes," she reveals that the corners of her mouth are slit from ear to ear and repeats her question. A second "no" results in death, while a hesitant "yes" leads her to cut the corners of the victim's mouth to match her own disfigurement. One way to survive is to describe her appearance as "average."
The story of Kuchisake-onna is said to have origins dating back to Japan's Edo period, from the 17th to 19th centuries. However, the modern version of the legend began in 1978 and gained widespread popularity in the summer of 1979, when newspapers and magazines reported on it. Rumors spread across the country, leading to children being escorted home from school by groups of adults. The most accepted origin places the legend in Gifu Prefecture in 1978. In print, it appeared as early as 1979 in publications like the *Gifu Nichi Nichi Shinbun*, *Shukan Asahi*, and *Shukan Shincho*. Historian and manga artist Shigeru Mizuki considered Kuchisake-onna a yōkai, and according to translator Zack Davisson, her inclusion in one of Mizuki's yōkai encyclopedias officially established her as such.
Various versions of the legend explain how she became disfigured. In Japan, the most common story involves an attack by a jealous woman, often her sister, or a
- Origin period
- Late 1970s (1978–1979); no credible evidence of an Edo-period origin
Lore & Background
The legend says Kuchisake-onna was a woman who was mutilated during her life, with her mouth being slit from ear to ear. In the most common version of the story in Japan, her appearance came as a result of an attack by a jealous woman, often her sister, or a botched plastic surgery or dental procedure; in the West, the most common version says that Kuchisake-onna was the adulterous wife or a mistress of a samurai during her life. She grew lonely because the samurai was always away from home fighting, and began having affairs with men around the town. When the samurai heard of her actions, he was outraged. As punishment for her infidelity, her husband sliced the corners of her mouth from ear to ear. In other versions, her mouth is filled with numerous sharp teeth. After her death, the woman returned as a vengeful spirit, or onryō.
Reader's Guide
Kuchisake-onna is a prominent figure in Japanese urban legends, with roots that some scholars trace to the Edo period (17th–19th centuries) and others to the 1970s. The modern story originates from 1978 but only became popular in the summer of 1979, 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. Historian and manga author Shigeru Mizuki considered Kuchisake-onna to be an example of a yōkai, and according to translator Zack Davisson, 'When Mizuki put her in one of his newest yokai encyclopedias, that's when she was officially considered a yokai.' The legend has appeared in numerous films, manga, anime, and video games, including the 1994 animated film Pom Poko, the 1998 film Ring, and the 2007 film Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman. Her enduring presence in popular culture reflects the adaptability of urban legends and their ability to evolve across media.
Did You Know?
- Kuchisake-onna is described as a tall woman of about 175–180 cm (5'7–5'9 ft), though some believe she is up to 243.84 cm (8 ft) tall.
- Methods to survive an encounter include answering 'average,' giving money or hard candies (especially bekko ame), or saying the word 'pomade' three times.
- The modern legend became popular in the summer of 1979 after reports in newspapers such as Gifu Nichi Nichi Shinbun and magazines like Shukan Asahi.
- Historian and manga author Shigeru Mizuki considered Kuchisake-onna a yōkai, and her inclusion in his encyclopedia solidified that status.
Physical Iconography and the Aesthetic of Terror
Kuchisake-onna is depicted as a strikingly beautiful woman whose single disfigurement—a scar splitting her mouth from ear to ear—creates an unsettling contrast. Most accounts place her height between 175 and 180 centimeters, though some believers claim she towers at nearly 244 centimeters. She has long, straight black hair, pale skin, and white hands. She partially conceals her face with a mask, hand fan, or handkerchief to hide the scar, and carries a sharp instrument described variously as medical scissors, a knife, a machete, or even a scythe. She is also said to possess supernatural speed. Some versions describe her mouth as filled with numerous sharp teeth rather than a simple slit. The overall effect is a figure of conventional beauty weaponized by a single grotesque detail, making her a uniquely disturbing presence in Japanese supernatural folklore.
The Ritual of Confrontation and Survival
The core of the Kuchisake-onna legend revolves around a two-stage verbal exchange. She approaches a potential victim and asks, "Watashi, kirei?"—essentially, "Am I pretty?" A negative answer results in immediate death by her sharp weapon, or a delayed murder carried out in the victim's sleep after nightfall. A positive answer prompts her to reveal her slit mouth and repeat the question, sometimes phrased as "Kore demo?" or "Even with this?" A second "no" or a scream of terror means death. A hesitant "yes" means she slices the victim's mouth to mirror her own disfigurement. Survival is possible through several methods: calling her appearance merely "average," claiming to be running late (to which she bows and apologizes), offering her money or hard candies—especially bekko ame, a caramelized sugar confection—so she stops to pick them up, or saying the word "pomade" three times.
Origins and the 1979 Media Explosion
Scholars disagree on the legend's true age. Folklorist Matthew Meyer traces roots to Japan's Edo period, spanning the 17th through 19th centuries, while Japanese literature professor Iikura Yoshiyuki argues the story is a product of the 1970s. The most widely accepted origin places the legend in Gifu Prefecture in 1978. By early 1979 it had entered print: the Gifu Nichi Nichi Shinbun reported on it in January, Shukan Asahi in March, and Shukan Shincho in April. The summer of 1979 saw the rumors explode nationwide, spreading through newspapers and magazines to the point where parent–teacher association groups were dispatched to walk young children home from school. Historian and manga author Shigeru Mizuki classified her as a yōkai, and according to translator Zack Davisson, her inclusion in one of Mizuki's yokai encyclopedias effectively cemented her status as an official member of Japan's supernatural pantheon.
Origins of the Disfigurement and Cultural Variations
The legend offers several explanations for how the woman acquired her scar. In the most common Japanese version, she was attacked by a jealous woman—often her own sister—or suffered a botched plastic surgery or dental procedure. In Western retellings, the most prevalent account casts her as the adulterous wife or mistress of a samurai. In that telling, the samurai's constant absence for warfare drove her to loneliness and extramarital affairs with men in the town. Upon learning of her infidelity, the enraged husband sliced the corners of her mouth from ear to ear as punishment. After her death, she returned as an onryō, a vengeful spirit. This multiplicity of origin stories—ranging from domestic jealousy to medical malpractice to wartime abandonment—gives the legend a remarkable adaptability, allowing it to resonate across different cultural contexts while preserving the central image of a beautiful woman defined by a single, horrifying wound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kuchisake-onna?
Kuchisake-onna, literally "Slit-Mouthed Woman," is a vengeful female spirit that emerged from Japanese urban legend in the late 1970s. She is classified as an onryō, a type of malicious ghost driven by resentment, and is often cited as a modern entry in the broader yōkai tradition.
What does Kuchisake-onna look like?
She is typically depicted as a tall woman, roughly 175 to 180 centimeters in height, who covers part of her face with a mask or cloth to hide a long scar across her mouth. In her hands she carries a sharp implement—most commonly scissors or a knife—that she uses as a weapon.
How does Kuchisake-onna interact with a victim?
Before striking, she approaches a person and asks whether she is beautiful. If the victim answers "yes," she removes her mask to reveal the scarred mouth and asks again; if the victim then says "no," she slits the victim's face to make them resemble her.
When did the Kuchisake-onna legend originate?
The story first spread in Japan during 1978–1979 as a piece of urban folklore, and there is no credible evidence tying it to any Edo-period or earlier source. It is therefore regarded as a modern ghost legend rather than an ancient one.
Why is Kuchisake-onna considered important in Japanese ghost lore?
She is frequently highlighted as a textbook example of how a contemporary urban legend can be folded into the older yōkai and onryō frameworks of Japanese supernatural tradition. Her specific, repeatable interaction script—the beauty question followed by the mask reveal—makes her one of the most recognizable and widely retold modern ghosts in Japan.
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