It was a cold, foggy evening in a quiet suburb of Tokyo when Yuki stepped off the train. The air was unnaturally still, the kind of silence that presses against your ears and makes your heartbeat seem louder than it should be. The streetlights flickered faintly overhead as she made her way home, her footsteps echoing on the pavement.
That’s when she heard it—a soft, dragging sound behind her. When she turned, there was no one there. Just the shadows, swaying gently as if the night itself were breathing.
She shook her head and laughed nervously. “Just tired,” she muttered.
But then… a woman appeared at the edge of the alleyway.
She was wearing a long beige trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over her face. Her head tilted to one side as she slowly stepped forward. Most notably, she wore a white surgical mask—the kind people wear during cold season or allergy time. But this wasn’t the usual polite gesture. No, this felt… wrong.
The woman’s voice was soft and melodic, almost hypnotic.
“Am I… beautiful?”
Yuki blinked. The question hung in the air like a chill. Something primal inside her whispered to run, but her mouth opened on its own.
“Y-Yes…”
The woman tilted her head the other way. Her eyes, once hidden under her hat, gleamed like glass under the streetlight.
She reached up with a gloved hand and slowly pulled down the mask.
From ear to ear, her face was slit wide open, exposing a grotesque, gaping wound, like a smile carved by madness itself. Her mouth was lined with jagged, torn flesh—stitched, in some stories… but this one was raw. Unnatural. Bloody.
“Even now?”
Yuki screamed—but it was too late.
The Tale Behind the Terror
The story of Kuchisake-onna isn’t just a modern ghost story; it has roots that stretch deep into Japan’s folklore. Her name literally means “Slit-Mouthed Woman.”
Some say she was once a beautiful woman, a wife or concubine of a jealous samurai. Her beauty was admired by many, and she knew it. But her husband suspected her of being unfaithful. Enraged, he took a blade and sliced her face open from ear to ear.
“Who will think you are beautiful now?”
He spat, before leaving her to die.
But death was not the end.
Her spirit, twisted by rage and sorrow, returned. But instead of seeking peace, she became something else—a vengeful onryō—a Japanese ghost bound by unresolved emotions. And so, she walks the streets, especially during dusk or misty nights, wearing a mask to hide her deformity.
When she finds someone alone, especially children or young adults, she confronts them with her chilling question:
“Watashi, kirei?” – Am I beautiful?”
If you say no, she kills you.
If you say yes, she shows her mutilated face and asks again.
Say no again—and she kills you.
Say yes—and she slits your face open… just like hers.
A no-win situation… unless you know the secrets.
How to Outsmart the Slit-Mouthed Woman
Over the years, whispered stories and schoolyard strategies have emerged. Some say you can survive if you:
- Say she’s “average” – not beautiful, not ugly. This confuses her.
- Throw candies, particularly bekko ame (traditional amber sugar candy), to distract her.
- Ask her a question back, like “Do you think I’m beautiful?” This buys you time to escape.
- Say you’re late and run—though she’s said to float, gliding silently, and can catch up fast.
- Carry certain charms – ofuda (Shinto talismans) or chant protective prayers.
Some even say red ink or pomade (lip balm) can repel her, though these may be newer twists added in the 1970s when the urban legend exploded in popularity.
Mass Hysteria and Real Sightings?
In 1979, reports of a woman in a surgical mask haunting children spread like wildfire across Japan. Schools closed early. Children were escorted home in groups. Police were stationed near school gates.
Was it just a mass hysteria? Or did someone really dress up to scare kids?
Even decades later, Kuchisake-onna still appears in urban sightings—from Japan to South Korea. In 2004, a similar story circulated in South Korea about a masked woman chasing children with scissors.
In 2007, a coroner’s record from the 1970s resurfaced, reporting a woman who was killed—her face slit from ear to ear. Was she the original Kuchisake-onna?
Or had the legend become real?
Appearances in Pop Culture
Like many urban legends, Kuchisake-onna has made her way into Japanese pop culture:
- Movies: Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007) brought the tale to the big screen.
- Anime/Manga: She’s referenced in Hell Teacher Nube, Ghost Stories, and even Paranoia Agent.
- Games: From Fatal Frame to Yo-Kai Watch, her influence appears in various spooky characters.
Her tale changes slightly with every retelling. Sometimes she’s a victim of domestic abuse. Other times, she’s a cursed spirit. But the heart of the legend remains:
A mask. A question. And a horrifying truth beneath.
Back to the Street…
Yuki’s body was never found.
The police filed her case as a disappearance. Her mother swears she heard the front door open around midnight. A whisper echoed through the hallway: “Am I… beautiful?”
Some say Kuchisake-onna appears more often now—especially in places where people walk alone at night.
So if you’re ever wandering a quiet street in Japan, and you see a woman in a mask staring at you from the shadows…
Think very carefully before you answer.
Because some questions aren’t meant to be answered.
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