Kuchisake-onna or Slit-Mouthed Woman is a figure appearing in Japanese urban legends. She is a woman who was mutilated by her husband, and returns as a malicious spirit. In modern folklore, 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 the they answers yes, the woman pulls away the mask, revealing that her mouth is slit from ear to ear, and asks "How about now?" If they answer no, she/he will die. If the person answers yes, then she will slit his/her mouth like hers. It is impossible to run away from her, as she will simply reappear in front of the victim.

The Kuchisake-onna legend has been described as dating back to the 17th to 19th centuries, during Japan's Edo period. The modern story of Kuchisake-onna originates from 1978 but only became popular in the summer of 1979, when several newspapers and magazines reported on the legend, and rumors surrounding it spread throughout the country, leading to young children being accompanied by groups of adults while walking home from school, the story's boom in popularity stopped by August.

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 "So-so". 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.[3] Another way is for the child to ask her if the child is pretty; she will get confused and leave.

All published appearances of from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

Some notable appearances are listed below:

*Ehon Sayoshigure (1801)

* Historian and manga author Shigeru Mizuki considered Kuchisake-onna to be an example of a yōkai, a term which can refer to a variety of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuchisake-onna Wikipedia]
*[https://myths-in-media.fandom.com/wiki/Kuchisake_onna Myths in Media Wiki]
*[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/kuchisake-onna/4005-96832/ ComicVine]

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