Sukima onna. - 隙間女 - The Gap Woman - [Urban Legend | Yokai]

Sukima onna. - 隙間女 - The Gap Woman - [Urban Legend | Yokai]

•About this Yokai:

Peek-a-boo! ...i see you..
Have you ever been completely alone yet felt like someone was watching? –

"Sukima onna"- (JP: 隙間女) - [The Gap Woman] - A woman who gazes at you through the thin gaps between the walls & furniture in your home. (in recent years its said she often wears red) Once you've locked eyes with her: she wont ever stop staring. She'll appear anywhere with a gap, even impossibly small spaces which you couldnt possibly fit such as the gap between the dresser and the wall. Her piercing gaze is unsettling, enough to drive you mad. no matter how hard you try to block her out, she'll be watching. All eyes on you.

• Early appearances & History •

There are plenty of modern retellings but Her story originates from "Mimi-bukuro (1814.)" a collection of urban legends collected by a samurai in the early Edo period. - The original story goes something like this:

"A tea shopkeep had moved into a new home, After that, something was wrong with the sliding door on the second floor. When a servant tried to open it, it only opened halfway... When the storekeeper himself tried, the door opened without any issue. The next day it wouldn't open, so one of the servants forced it open. Suddenly a woman appeared from the tight space, (the one used for containing the door.) and grabbed at the servant. He panicked and forced the door back... she vanished."

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) - Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons - Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather resistant 4" Glossy sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!