Futakuchi-onna (二口女)

About this Yokai

Futakuchi-onna, (二口女) or “The Two-Mouthed Woman,” is a famous yokai from the 1841 collection Ehon Hyakumonogatari. In this tale, a cruel stepmother is struck in the head by an axe after starving her stepchild. The wound transforms into a second mouth that demands food and whispers of her crimes. This story serves as a moral lesson on karmic retribution, framing the deformity as a punishment for her inhumanity. While the original text focuses on this spiritual disease, the iconic illustrations famously depict her hair moving like serpents to feed the extra mouth.

Artist’s Note

Actually, this Futakuchi-onna is my self-portrait. It serves as an example of how I sometimes become assimilated into the themes I am depicting during the creative process.