According To Japanese Legend, You May Be Met With A Gruesome Fate If Approached By An Eerie Slit-Mouthed Woman While Walking Alone At Night
If you’re wondering which country has the scariest urban legends, Japan takes the cake. Japanese folklore is teeming with tales of vengeful spirits and malevolent creatures that will send shivers down your spine.
For centuries, the imagination of the Japanese people has been haunted by one figure in particular—the legend of kuchisake onna, the slit-mouthed woman.
According to the eerie legend, kuchisake onna shows up when people are walking alone at night. She always appears as a young, pretty woman covering the bottom half of her face with a fan or a mask.
She will approach her victim and ask them if she is beautiful. If the victim says yes, she will expose her entire face, which features a bleeding mouth that stretches from ear to ear. Then, she will ask the question again.
If the victim says no or screams in fear, she will slash their mouth to make it look like hers. If the victim responds with a yes, she may leave them alone or follow them home and murder them.
So, it seems that either way, the answer you give is a gamble. Is there any surefire way to survive an encounter with the kuchisake onna? And how on earth did such a creepy tale even come about?
The origins of the kuchisake onna are believed to be traced back to the Heian period, which lasted from 794 C.E. to 1185 C.E. It is said that she may have been a samurai’s wife, but he mutilated her after she was caught being unfaithful.
Other interpretations are that a woman attacked her out of jealousy for her beauty, her mouth is full of razor-sharp teeth, or that her bleeding mouth is the result of a medical procedure gone wrong.
Eventually, she became a ghost that was out for revenge, which is known as an onryō. The word kuchi means mouth, while sake means to tear or split. And, onna is a woman.
luchschenF – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
The spirit’s question of “Watashi, kirei?” or “Am I beautiful?” is a simple one. But, it is also highly dangerous. The wrong answer can leave you disfigured or dead. So, how can you avoid those gruesome fates?
One way to escape from kuchisake onna unharmed is to tell her that she’s average-looking. You can also throw a type of hard candy called bekkō-ame at her or say something about hair pomade. For some reason, she can’t stand that product.
The ancient legend has been around for a long time. Stories of the kuchisake onna spread during the Edo period, which spanned from 1603 to 1867. In the 20th century, the myth experienced a revival.
In 1978, Japanese children began going to cram schools, which helped students prepare for high school exams. This caused kids across different districts to gather together, and they shared stories they had heard with each other. Of course, as stories are passed around, several details get changed.
In some areas of the country, the kuchisake onna is described as wearing a red face mask. Others say that she is unable to turn corners or chase someone up the stairs because evil spirits can only move in a straight line. Some versions state that she is accompanied by a boyfriend with a matching slit mouth and mask.
So, if you ever find yourself being approached by a stranger who wants to know if you think they’re attractive, remember what to do to avoid harm.
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