Context:

MV: “So there’s this slit mouthed woman from Japan who around the 70s and 80s there were several reports of her walking around Japan with a pair of scissors or a long knife and asking children ‘am I beautiful?’ and if they responded no she would kill them…and if they responded yes she’d take off her mask and show her mouth which was cut from ear to ear and she’d be like ‘am I still pretty?’ and if they said no…she’d kill them and if they said yes she would carve their mouths like hers.”

Q: When did you first hear about the story?

MV: “I personally remember researching about it when I was super into urban legends and was looking into folklore in Japan. I found out about the legend online.”

Q: Have you seen this story told anywhere else?

MV: “Not that I know of. I would love to see one though.”

Q: Have you shared the story with others?

MV: “When I was a bit younger, I would yap on and on about this kind of stuff since I found it super interesting. I think I would just tell people about the legend but not get into detail since I don’t know folktales by memory.”

Q: What significance do you think the story has?

MV: “It’s thought that these occurrences happened due to masculine insecurity from the rising role of women in Japan in the 70s.”

Analysis: The Slit-Mouth Woman (Kuchisake-Onna) tells the story of a woman who in the 70s-80s would roam around Japan with a pair of scissors or a long knife. She would ask people if she was pretty and if they said no, she’d kill them and if they said yes, she’d carve their mouth similar to hers.