Demon City Shinjuku is a Japanese sci-fi horror novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi. It was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) in 1988. The story is about a young swordsman and the daughter of a political Messiah who enter Shinjuku, Tokyo to stop a man from opening a portal to a world of demons. The man killed the swordsman's father, who was a great warrior. The swordsman must battle demons while protecting the young woman.
Described as the malicious spirit, or Onryō, of a woman, she partially covers her face with a mask or other item and carries a pair of scissors, a knife, or some other sharp object. According to popular legend, she asks potential victims if they think she is beautiful. If they respond with "no", she will either kill them with her long medical scissors on the spot or wait until nightfall and murder them in their sleep. If they say "yes", she will reveal that the corners of her mouth are slit from ear to ear, and she will then repeat her question. If the individual responds with "no", she will kill them with her weapon, and if they say "yes" hesitantly she will cut the corners of their mouth in such a way that resembles her own disfigurement. Methods that can be used to survive an encounter with Kuchisake-onna include answering her question by describing her appearance as "average", or by distracting her with money or hard candies.
Ayakashi (アヤカシ) is the collective name for yōkai that appear above the surface of a body of water. In Nagasaki Prefecture, the atmospheric ghost lights that appear above water are called ayakashi, and so are the funayūrei in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Saga Prefecture. In western Japan, ayakashi are said to be the vengeful spirits of those who died at sea and they are attempting to capture more people to join them. On Tsushima Island, they are also called "atmospheric ghost lights of ayakashi (ayakashi no kaika)", and appear on beaches in the evening, and are said to look like a child walking in the middle of a fire. In coastal Japan, atmospheric ghost lights appear as mountains and obstruct one's path, and are said to disappear if one does not avoid the mountain and tries to bump into it intently.
Kabuki is a traditional Japanese theater form that combines dance, music, and mime. It's known for its highly stylized performances, elaborate costumes, and kumadori makeup. Kabuki was developed in Kyoto around 1603 by a shrine attendant named Izumo no Okuni. It was originally performed by women.
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