JOROGUMO

Lore

Jorogumo ranks among the most treacherous yokai in Japanese folklore; its name 女郎蜘蛛 literally means “woman-spider.” By tradition, an ordinary Nephila joro-spider that survives for roughly four hundred years undergoes a magical metamorphosis: it gains intellect, the power to change shape, and shifts its diet from insects to human beings.

The creature appears in two guises. Its true form is a colossal orb-weaver with feminine features—eight muscular limbs, venomous fangs, silk glands that spin webbing tougher than steel, and a telepathic link to direct lesser spiders. Its human disguise is that of an extraordinarily beautiful young woman. Beauty, hypnotic charm, and uncanny social manipulation make this guise the yokai’s primary hunting tool.

A Jorogumo usually chooses lairs far from people—caves, forest hollows, or waterfalls—yet shapeshifting lets it settle unnoticed in abandoned buildings. A famous story from the Izu Peninsula tells of a wanderer who met a stunning woman by a waterfall. As he rested, she offered him tea, but the sudden encounter was an illusion. Before he could react, silvery threads wove around his ankles, trapping him forever.