Kuchisake-onna
Encyclopedia
In Japanese mythology
, ("Slit-Mouth Woman") is a woman who is mutilated
by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.
legend began in the Edo
period, with the woman initially covering her face with her kimono
.
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
, ("Slit-Mouth Woman") is a woman who is mutilated
Mutilation
Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, usually without causing death.- Usage :...
by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.
Older version of the legend
The Kuchisake-onnaKuchisake-onna
In Japanese mythology, is a woman who is mutilated by a jealous husband and returns as a malicious spirit. The Kuchisake-onna legend became popular enough to cause some panic in Japan during the 1980s, and there are even reports of schools asking children to go home in groups for safety.-Older...
legend began in the Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
period, with the woman initially covering her face with her kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
.
The modern urban legend
Children walking alone at night may encounter a woman wearing a surgical mask, this is not an unusual sight in Japan as people wear them to protect others from their colds or sickness. The woman will stop the child and ask, 'Am I beautiful?'. If the child answers no, they are killed with a pair of scissors which the woman carries. If they answer yes, the woman pulls away the mask, revealing her mouth is slit from ear to ear and asks 'How about now?'. If the child answers no, he/she will be cut in half. If he/she answers yes, then she will slit his/her mouth like hers.Ways to escape the Kuchisake-onna
When the legend reappeared in the 1970s rumours of ways to escape also emerged. When she asks you, you must say that she is pretty two times in a row, so that she will become confused and her victim can escape while she is lost in thought. Another escape route is to tell her you have a previous engagement; she will pardon her manners and excuse herself from your presence. In some variations of the tale, she can be distracted by throwing fruit or sweets at her which she will pick up, thus giving the victim a chance to run. One other way is to ask her if you are pretty, she will get confused and leave.Live action
- Kuchisake-onna aka The Slit-Mouthed Woman (1996)
- Kannô byôtô: nureta akai kuchibiru aka The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2005)
- CarvedCarved (film)Carved with the Japanese title Kuchisake-onna, is a J-Horror movie, released on August 14, 2007, directed by Kôji Shiraishi and written by Naoyuki Yokota and Kôji Shiraishi....
aka A Slit-Mouthed Woman aka Kuchisake-onna (2007) - Kuchisake-Onna 2 The Scissors MassacreKuchisake-Onna 2 The Scissors MassacreKuchisake-Onna 2 is the prequel to the movie Kuchisake-Onna. It was released on March 22, 2008, and was directed by Kotaro Terauchi. It is based on a legend and some actual events that occurred in Japan...
aka Carved 2 aka A Slit-Mouthed Woman 2 aka Kuchisake-onna 2 (2008) - The Slit-Mouthed Woman 0: The Beginning aka Kuchisake-onna 0: Biginingu (2008)
Other appearances
The Kuchisake-onna also makes an appearance in:- Hell Teacher NubeHell Teacher Nubeis a horror-comedy manga created by the collaborative efforts of writer and artist Takeshi Okano in Shueisha's manga anthology book Weekly Shōnen Jump. The series ran for 276 chapters from Issue 38, 1993 through Issue 24, 1999...
- Hanako to Guuwa no Tera
- Russian grindcoreGrindcoreGrindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
one-man band Kuchisake-onna - Franken Fran (includes a short parody of the Kuchisake-onna legend in an extra of Volume 2)
- Toshi Densetsu (Includes the Kuchisake-onna)
- Ghost Stories (The Kuchisake-onna was planned to make an appearance in episode 5 of the series, but it was banned after several complaints that her disfigurement looked too much like a cleft pallette)
- She appears as an optional boss in Persona 2: Innocent Sin.
See also
- Bloody MaryBloody Mary (folklore)Bloody Mary is a ghost or witch featured in English folklore. She is said to appear in a mirror when her name is called three times or sometimes more while in a dark room, depending upon the version of the story, often as part of a game or dare.-Overview:...
, a similar apparition in western urban legends. - Glasgow smileGlasgow smileA Glasgow smile refers to the wound that results from slashing a person's face from the edges of the mouth to the ears. The cut, which is usually made with a utility knife or a piece of broken glass, leaves a scar that makes the victim appear to be smiling broadly...
- La LloronaLa LloronaLa Llorona is a widespread legend in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America. Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria killing her children by drowning them, in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she kills...
- Onryō, a malicious ghost in Japanese folklore
- Teke TekeTeke TekeThe Teke Teke is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young woman, or school girl, who fell on a rail way line and was cut in half by the oncoming train. Now a vengeful spirit, she carries a scythe or a saw and travels on either her hand or elbows, her dragging upper torso making a...
, another malicious Japanese spirit. - Japanese urban legendsJapanese urban legendsJapanese urban legends are enduring modern folktales of paranormal creatures and their attacks on innocent victims. They rarely include the fantastical or animistic yokai of earlier Japanese superstition, and are mostly based on onryo, Japanese ghosts who have become vengeful spirits and take...