Kuchisake-onna

Kuchisake-onna.

Kuchisake-onna is a figure appearing in Japanese urban legends. She is a woman who was mutilated by her husband, and returns as a malicious spirit. According to the legend, she walks around wearing a surgical mask.

The woman will ask someone, "Am I pretty?" If they answer no, they are killed with a pair of scissors which the woman carries. If they answer yes, the woman pulls away the mask, revealing that her mouth is slit from ear to ear, and asks "How about now?" If the answer is still no, they will die. If the person answers yes, then she will slit their mouth like hers.

It is impossible to run away from her, as she will simply reappear in front of the victim. However, if she asks you the same question after taking off her mask, and the person says something like she's in the middle, she will be confused and the person will have enough time to escape.

When the legend reappeared, the 1970s rumors of ways to escape also emerged. Some sources say she can also be confused by the victim answering her question with ambiguous answers, such as "You are average" or "50/50". Unsure of what to do, she will give a person enough time to escape while she is lost in thought. Another escape route is to tell her one has a previous engagement; she will pardon her manners and excuse herself.

In some variations of the tale, she can be distracted by fruit or candies thrown at her which she will then pick up, thus giving the victim a chance to run. She will also be at an advantage to run toward you if she has the chance. Another way is for the child to ask her if the child is pretty; she will get confused and leave.