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Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女), the “Slit-Mouthed Woman,” is one of Japan’s most infamous urban legends. Though most widely known as a modern tale from the late 1970s, her roots stretch further back into Edo-period folklore. Stories describe her as a beautiful woman whose face was mutilated, her mouth cut from ear to ear, often said to be the result of an adulterous wife punished by her jealous samurai husband, or alternatively, a victim of violent assault.
The modern version first gained national attention in 1978–79, beginning in Gifu Prefecture, when schoolchildren spread rumors of a masked woman who would approach them and ask, “Am I beautiful?” If answered “no,” she killed; if answered “yes,” she revealed her terrible wound and asked again. Hesitation or rejection led to mutilation, with victims’ mouths cut to resemble her own. The detail of her carrying large scissors was a feature that emerged during this period.
Folklore also developed survival tactics: distracting her with sweets, repeating the word “pomade” (said to frighten her), or answering ambiguously to confuse her. These variations mirror older Japanese ghost lore, where cleverness or ritual words could ward off vengeful spirits.
Kuchisake-onna is part of the long tradition of onryō, vengeful female ghosts in Japanese culture, but she also reflects the anxieties of modern society, from beauty standards to urban violence. Her legend continues to evolve through films, manga, and popular culture, bridging the gap between historical myth and contemporary fear.
(Sources: Foster, Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai; Foster, The Book of Yokai; Wikipedia: “Kuchisake-onna.”)