TALE OF KUCHISAKE ONNA

I think you may be heard about the story of slit mouth woman if you like Japanese ghost stories. Well then, let’s get into it..

KUCHISAKE ONNA

Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女, "Slit Mouthed Woman") is an urban legend from Japan. It has been said that this story already existed from Edo period. In many story, she is a woman who was mutilated by her husband, and return as malicious spirit. When rumors of alleged sightings began spreading in 1979 around the Nagasaki Prefecture, it spread throughout Japan and caused panic in many towns. There are even reports of schools allowing children to go home only in groups escorted by teachers for safety, and police increasing their patrols.

Recent sightings include many reports in South Korea in the year 2004 about a woman wearing a red mask who was frequently seen chasing children (you may wonder why the sightings are found in Korea. Sorry but I don’t know too, maybe she’s taking a holiday in there). Then, in October 2007, a coroner found some old records from late 1970s about a woman who was chasing children. She was then hit by a car, and died shortly after. Her mouth was ripped from ear to ear.

In the western, there’s an urban legend about the slit mouthed man “Jeff the Killer”. The appearance of these two ghosts is almost the same just have the different gender. From some people's opinions, there's being said that Jeff the Killer imitates the legend Kuchisake Onna. But the answer still being unknown until now.

KUCHISAKE ONNA ORIGINS

During the Edo period, a large number of kuchisake onna attacks were blamed on shape-changed kitsune playing pranks on young men. During the 20th century, the blame began to be placed on ghosts, serial killers, and simple mass hysteria, resulting in many kuchisake onna sightings over Japan. A number of clever young people claim to have outsmarted them by delivering quick, confusing answers, or by throwing money or hard candy at her, buying themselves enough time to escape from her wrath and lose her in the darkness.

KUCHISAKE ONNA APPEARANCE

She appears at night to lone travelers on the road, covering her grizzly mouth with a cloth mask, a fan, or a handkerchief. Some said that she often wearing a surgical mask, which is not an unusual sight in Japan as people wear them to protect others from their colds or sickness. Disfigured face aside, she appears as an attractive Asian woman with long, black hair, wearing a simple beige trench coat. She could have looked very pretty when she was still covering her mouth with something. But her beauty will change when something that covers her mouth is released. I hope that you do not be shocked or yelled at the time you seeing it, because she can kill you.

KUCHISAKE ONNA BEHAVIOR

Kuchisake onna sneaks up on her victims in the dark and then asks them if they think she is beautiful: “Watashi, kirei?” If the victim answers yes, she pulls off her mask, revealing a red, blood-dripping, grotesque mouth. Then she asks in a grisly voice if they still think she is: “Kore demo?” If her victim answers no or screams in terror, she slashes him from ear to ear so that he resembles her. If he lies and answers yes a second time, she walks away, only to follow her target to his home and slaughter him brutally that night.

KUCHISAKE ONNA TALES AND STORY

The original story of Kuchisake-Onna comes from the Heian period of Japan’s history, roughly 1200-800 years ago. A beautiful woman, either wife or concubine to a samurai, was extraordinarily vain.  She cheated on the samurai.  When he discovered her treachery, he slit open her mouth from ear to ear, giving her a Glasgow smile, and asked her, “Who will think you are beautiful now?”. Because of that, then she died because of blood loss and became a malicious spirit seeking revenge to any man or pretty woman.

As mentioned, the Kuchisake-Onna began making steady appearances in the 1970s, and in 1979 she was supposedly chasing children. Surprisingly enough, there is some basis for this. In 2007, a coroner found records that in the late 1970s there was a woman who chased children. She was struck by a car and killed while in the midst of such a chase, and she did have a torn mouth similar to the story. This woman was likely the cause of the panic in the late ’70s.

The legend, however, has not died. It resurfaced in the early 2000s, and is still prevalent today, though the means of escape is now telling the ghost you have a previous appointment to attend to, at which point she’ll excuse her poor manners and depart. The legend has even spread to South Korea, where she appears with a blood red face mask.

THE CHARACTER OF KUCHISAKE ONNA IN POPULAR CULTURE

Anime and Manga

1. In Jigoku Sensei Nube anime, Honomi's character is Kuchisake Onna.
2. In Danganronpa anime,the split personality of character Touko Fukawa, the scissors-wielding serial killer Genocider Syo, was most likely inspired by Kuchisake-onna.
3. In Kuchisake Onna Densetsu manga, Kuchisake Onna is the main ghost of the story.
4. In Hanako and the Terror of Allegory manga, Kuchisake Onna appeared as an enemy.
5. In Mob Psycho 100 manga, Kuchisake Onna appeared as an enemy.
6. In Detective Conan manga, the name of Kuchisake Onna was mentioned.
7. In Zekkyou Gakkyuu manga, Kuchisake Onna appeared in chapter 21.
8. In Kanojo wa Rokurokubi manga, character with name Yocchii is Kuchisake Onna.

Other Films and Games

1. She was made into a movie with title Kuchisake-onna in 1996.
2. She was made into a movie with title The Slit-Mouthed Woman a.k.a. Kuchisake in 2005.
3. She was made into a movie with title Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman in 2007.
4. She was made into a movie with title Kaiki toshi-densetsu - Kuchisake-onna in 2008
5. She was made into a movie with title Carved 2: The Scissors Massacre in 2008.
6. She was made into a movie with title The Slit-Mouthed Woman 0: The Beginning in 2008.
7. She was made into a movie with title Uwasa no Shinsō! Kuchisake-onna in 2008.
8. She was made into a movie with title Kuchisake-onna Two in 2010.
9. She was made into a movie with title Keitai Ura Site: Kuchisake-onna in 2010.
10. She was made into a movie with title Hikiko-san VS Kuchisake-onna in 2011.
11. She was made into a movie with title Kuchisake-onna Returns in 2012.
12. She was made into a movie with title Senritsu Kaiki File Kowasugi! File-01 "Kuchisake-onna Hokaku Sakusen" in 2012
13. She was made into a movie with title Slit Mouth Woman in L.A. in 2014
14. She was made into a movie with title Kuchisake-onna vs Kashima-san tahun 2017.
15. In Rewrite visual novel game, the name of Kuchisake Onna was mentioned.
16. Perhaps not intentional, but Mortal Kombat's character, Mileena, is possibly based on the Kuchisake-onna. She even wanted to be beautiful in some of the games, just like the spirit.
17. In the The Evillious Chronicles, also called the Evillious series, the expansive dark fantasy multi-media series conceptualized by Akuno-P, character Kayo Sudou is inspired by the Kuchisake Onna.
18. In Urban Legend in Limbo game, Kokoro’s ultimate move name is Kuchisake Onna.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU MEET KUCHISAKE ONNA

There are some tips and tricks from me if in any chance that you meet Kuchisake Onna while walking alone on the street. Here you go:

1. “Make her confused”. When she caught you, I mean she already stand in your front eyes. Do not running, feel scared, or screaming that make her angry. Just answer her question and make her confused. First she will ask you “Watashi wa kirei?” (“Do I look beautiful?”), answer it with “Anata ni totte, watashi wa dou?” (“How about me to you?”). In that moment she will feel confused and you can use that time to escape from her. Or at some point you are too scared and accidentally say yes to her, then she will pull away the mask, revealing that her mouth is slit from ear to ear, and ask, “Kore demo?” ("How about now?"), answer it with “Ma~ ma~ ka na” (“So-so I think”) or “Futsu da to omou” (“I think it’s average”). Then she will feel confused and you can use that time to escape from her.
2. “Bring Japanese sweet, candy, or fruits with you”. Running won’t help. The Kuchisake Onna is said to be capable of covering one hundred yards in three seconds. However, it is also said to be extraordinarily fond of traditional Japanese sweets called “Bekko Ame”, or if you didn’t have it, you can bring other candy or fruits. Then when you encounter her, giving or throwing it into her can distract her long enough that you can use for escape.
3. “Shouting the word of ‘Pomade’”. Kuchisake Onna being said to be disgusted by the scent of hair pomade. In some accounts, shouting the word “Pomade” three times has stunned her long enough to allow victims to bear a hasty retreat. (Rumor has it that the doctor or dentist who mutilated her face had thickly pomaded hair). Or another popular method of warding it off is to chant the word “Ninniku” (garlic) while drawing the kanji character for “dog” (Inu) on one’s hand.

See you in the next entry..

References :

• http://yokai.com/kuchisakeonna/
• https://www.ranker.com/list/stories-about-kuchisake-onna-slit-mouthed-woman/jen-jeffers
• Modern Folklore Book (2005) by. By Robert B Durham
• Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide book (2008) by. Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt, and Tatsuya Morino