The Legend of Kuchisake-onna: Japan’s Slit-Mouthed Woman
Imagine walking alone down a dimly lit street in a quiet Japanese neighborhood. The air is crisp, the sun has set, and the only sound is the tap-tap-tap of your own shoes against the pavement. Suddenly, a woman emerges from the shadows. She is wearing a trench coat and a surgical mask—a common sight in Japan for those preventing a cold. She stops you, her eyes intense, and asks a single question:
“Watashi, kirei?” (Am I beautiful?)
This is the chilling opening to one of Japan’s most enduring and terrifying modern urban legends: the tale of Kuchisake-onna, or the Slit-Mouthed Woman. For travelers and culture enthusiasts, understanding this legend offers a fascinating glimpse into the darker, psychological side of Japanese folklore.
Origins: From Samurai Wives to 1970s Panic
While Kuchisake-onna is often categorized as a modern urban legend, her roots may dig deep into history. Folklore experts often trace the archetype of the “vengeful woman” back to the Edo period or earlier.
The Samurai Legend
One popular origin story dates back hundreds of years. It is said that Kuchisake-onna was once the beautiful wife or concubine of a samurai. However, she was vain and unfaithful. In a fit of jealous rage, the samurai attacked her, slicing her mouth from ear to ear with his sword, shouting, “Who will think you are beautiful now?” She died and returned as an onryo—a vengeful spirit—cursed to roam the earth and inflict her pain on others.
The 1979 Hysteria
Despite the historical flavor, the legend truly exploded in the spring and summer of 1979. Starting in Gifu Prefecture, rumors spread like wildfire among school children about a woman chasing kids. The panic became so severe that police patrols were increased, and teachers were required to escort students home in groups. This era marked the transition of the yokai (spirit) from ancient woodblock prints to the concrete jungle of modern Japan.
The Legend: The Question and The Answer
The encounter follows a specific script, a grim ritual that the victim must navigate perfectly to survive.
The Encounter
When the woman asks, “Am I beautiful?”, the victim usually answers “Yes,” given her seemingly normal appearance (masked). Upon hearing this, she slowly peels away the surgical mask, revealing a grotesque mouth slit open to her ears, dripping with blood and exposing teeth and muscle.
She then asks, “Kore demo?” (Even like this?)
The Outcomes
This is where the legend becomes truly terrifying:
- If you say “No”: She immediately kills you with a pair of long scissors or a sickle.
- If you say “Yes”: She will slash your mouth to resemble hers, so you can be “beautiful” too.
- If you try to run: She will reappear in front of you, no matter how fast you go.
How to Survive
According to schoolyard rumors, there are only a few ways to escape confusing the spirit:
- The Ambiguous Answer: Reply with “You are average” (ma-ma desu) or “So-so.” This confuses her, giving you time to run.
- The Candy Distraction: Throw hard candies (bekko-ame) at her feet. She is compelled to pick them up, allowing you to escape.
- The Word “Pomade”: Chanting “Pomade” three times is said to repel her, possibly due to a dislike of the smell associated with the doctor/dentist who performed surgery on her.
Modern Culture: A Global Boogeyman
Kuchisake-onna has transcended mere gossip to become a staple of J-Horror. She has featured in numerous films, such as Carved (2007), and appears frequently in anime and manga.
Culturally, she represents the pressure of physical perfection in society and the fear of medical procedures. In recent years, the legend has evolved; in South Korea, a variation exists involving a red mask and plastic surgery gone wrong, highlighting how folklore adapts to contemporary societal anxieties.
Traveler’s Tips: Seeking the Supernatural
If you are a traveler with a taste for the macabre, you won’t find a “Temple of the Slit-Mouthed Woman.” However, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere that birthed her.
- Gifu Prefecture: Visit the Yanagase shopping street area in Gifu City, near where the 1979 panic reportedly began. It offers a nostalgic, retro Showa-era vibe perfect for ghost stories.
- Ghost Tours: Tokyo and Kyoto offer excellent “mystery tours” or “ghost walks” where guides recount local legends, including Kuchisake-onna, while walking through narrow alleys at night.
- Haunted Houses: During summer (the traditional season for ghost stories in Japan), theme parks like Fuji-Q Highland run terrifying haunted attractions often featuring characters inspired by her.
Sources & Further Reading
To understand the deeper context of Japanese spirits, one must look at the foundational texts of Japanese mythology.
- Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) and Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters): While these ancient texts do not mention Kuchisake-onna specifically, they establish the existence of Yomi (the land of the dead) and the concept of the onryo (vengeful spirit), providing the spiritual framework that allows modern legends like hers to exist.
- Gazu Hyakki Yagyo (The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons): Toriyama Sekien’s 18th-century work documents many yokai that share physical deformities similar to the Slit-Mouthed Woman.
- Sociological Studies: For a non-supernatural look, research the “1979 Kuchisake-onna Panic” to see how mass hysteria functions in pre-internet societies.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, remember: if you are walking alone in Japan and see a woman in a mask asking a question, you might want to have some hard candy in your pocket—just in case.