[ 12 ] The Kuchisake-Onna

In the dimly lit streets of Tokyo, there is a chilling legend that has been whispered among the locals for generations. It is a story that instills dread and sends shivers down the spines of those who dare to speak its name— "The Kuchisake-Onna."

The Kuchisake-Onna, or "Slit-Mouthed Woman," is a malevolent spirit who roams the city at night, her face concealed by a surgical mask. The tale of her origin varies, but the most common version is that she was a beautiful woman who was disfigured in a brutal attack, her mouth grotesquely slashed from ear to ear. Now, she seeks revenge on those she encounters.

The Kuchisake-Onna is known to approach unsuspecting victims as they walk alone on quiet streets or through dark alleyways. She poses a seemingly innocent question: "Am I beautiful?" If the victim answers "yes," the Kuchisake-Onna removes her mask, revealing her horrifying, grotesque smile, filled with razor-sharp teeth.

If the victim answers "no," they are met with a gruesome fate. The Kuchisake-Onna becomes enraged and kills them, slashing their mouth from ear to ear to match her own disfigurement. There is no escape from her once the encounter has occurred.

But the legend of the Kuchisake-Onna takes a truly unsettling turn. Those who have encountered her and survived are not safe either. The Kuchisake-Onna is said to revisit her victims, hunting them down, and asking the same question again and again, until they are driven to madness or meet a grisly end.

The story of the Kuchisake-Onna has been passed down through generations, and its presence looms in the minds of the people of Tokyo. Even today, many still fear walking alone at night, and tales of eerie encounters with the Slit-Mouthed Woman continue to circulate.

Some locals claim to have seen her, lurking in the shadows, her face obscured by a surgical mask, and a sense of impending doom in her presence. Others share chilling stories of encounters with her, her voice a haunting whisper in the night, and her question, "Am I beautiful?" hanging in the air.

While some may dismiss the legend as a mere ghost story, the fear of the Kuchisake-Onna runs deep in the hearts of those who call Tokyo home. It serves as a reminder that the darkness that haunts the city's streets may be more than just a tale, and that some legends are better left undisturbed, for fear that they might come to life in the shadows of the night.