FUTAKUCHI-ONNA

Lore

A particularly chilling yokai whose name translates to “woman with two mouths.” At first glance, she appears no different from any ordinary woman—but hidden beneath the hair at the back of her head lies a second, razor-toothed maw. This mouth often remains concealed under long strands of hair that can move with a life of their own, snatching up morsels of food.

Stories of Futakuchi-onna typically revolve around curses and retribution for greed. One well-known legend tells of a thrifty woman who starved her stepson to preserve food during a famine. This cruel act would later doom her. An accident occurred when her husband, chopping firewood, nicked the back of her head with an axe. The wound refused to heal and transformed into a second mouth, demanding food day and night. This gaping maw spoke relentlessly, confessing: “I killed a child! I was wrong, and now I am cursed!”