Kuchisake-onna

Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女; '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 a tall woman of about 175–180 cm; however, some people believe she is up to 8 feet tall, having long, straight black hair, white hands, 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".

The Kuchisake-onna legend has been described as dating back to the 17th to 19th centuries, during Japan's Edo period. The modern story of Kuchisake-onna 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. The story's boom in popularity stopped by August.^{[citation needed]}

According to legend, 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 this, he was outraged. As punishment for her infidelity, her husband sliced the corners of her mouth from ear to ear. In still other versions, 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 them 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. Another tactic is to say that the individual is running late and she will simply bow and apologize, allowing the individual to pass. 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 her money or hard candies, particularly the variety of candy known as bekko ame [ja], made of caramelised sugar (or throwing them in her direction, as she will stop to pick them up); or by saying the word "pomade" three times.

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 but Japanese literature professor Iikura Yoshiyuki believes it dates from the 1970s. The most accepted idea of its origins is that it comes from the Gifu prefecture in 1978.