History Literature / UrikohimeAndTheAmanojaku

In versions generally told in West Japan, the amanojaku strongarms Urikohime outside, undresses her, and ties her up in a persimmon tree. Then it dons her clothes and shapeshifts into her image. Upon the couple's return, the amanojaku pretends to be their beloved daughter and takes place in the litter readied for her. The group doesn't get far before either Urikohime's voice or those of the birds taking pity on her warn of the deception. The amanojaku is decapitated on the spot, [[JustSoStory staining the roots of the millet red]]. In versions common to East Japan, the story is much more grim. The amanojaku murders Urikohime, flays her to disguise itself in her skin, and consumes the rest of the evidence. Either curious behavior by the amanojaku betrays it or Urikohime's soul reincarnated as a bird reveals the deception. The amanojaku is killed, staining the roots of the proso millet red.

[[caption-width-right:350:Hello, MayIBorrowACupOfSugar And [[GenuineHumanHide the whole of your skin?]] I have plans, you see.]]

* TheBigBadWolf: A few versions feature a wolf instead of an amanojaku as villain. Urikohime gets eaten by it once it finds its way inside her house and it may trick her parents into consuming the leftovers, which are details that suggest the fairy tale is part of the same narrative family ''Literature/LittleRedRidingHood'' is also part of.

''Urikohime and the Amanojaku'' is a Japanse FairyTale of the type that starts with a childless couple finding the protagonist as a very small baby. Here that baby is Urikohime (瓜子姫), meaning Melon Seed Princess, for she is discovered within a melon.[[note]]Technically, "子" covers all cucurbits, but the specific fruit in the tale is always identified as a melon.[[/note]] The titular amanojaku is the villain of the story. Amanojaku are {{youkai}} commonly used in depictions of divine heroes as the evil entities those heroes subdue, but rarely do classic stories incorporate amanojaku. ''Urikohime and the Amanojaku'' is the best known tale to feature this youkai.

* TheBigBadWolf: A few versions feature a wolf instead of an amanojaku as villain. Urikohime gets eaten by it once it finds its way inside her house.

At the very tail end of the 1970s, a [[MirrorMonster Bloody Mary]]-style UrbanLegend developed from the East Japanese version of the fairy tale. It had its popularity in the first half of the 1980s and goes that if one says "Urikohime" in front of a mirror at 12 o'clock, Urikohime's resentfulness will manifest and kill the one who summoned her.

[[caption-width-right:350:Hello, MayIBorrowACupOfSugar And [[GenuineHumanHide your skin?]] It's very pretty.]]

* BeautifulSingingVoice: It's not as praiseworthy as her skill at weaving, but Urikohime's singing voice is often noted to be exceptional. It is also linked to her weaving because she always sings while at it.

* BoundAndGagged: If not killed, Urikohime is abducted and left tied up in a persimmon tree, wearing at most her underwear. She's not gagged, which comes back to bite the amanojaku when Urikohime's voice carries far enough to reveal the deception.

* MuggedForDisguise: The amanojaku wants Urikohime's life and therefore opts to impersonate her. This is done A.) by abducting or killing the real Urikohime, and B.) taking her clothes and sometimes her skin to dress up in as her.

[[caption-width-right:350:Hello, MayIBorrowACupOfSugar And [[GenuineHumanHide your skin?]]]]

''Urikohime and the Amanojaku'' is a Japanse FairyTale of the type that starts with a childless couple finding the protagonist as a very small baby. Here that baby is Urikohime (瓜子姫), meaning Melon Seed Princess, for she is discovered within a melon. The titular amanojaku is the villain of the story. Amanojaku are {{youkai}} commonly used in depictions of divine heroes as the evil entities those heroes subdue, but rarely do classic stories incorporate amanojaku. ''Urikohime and the Amanojaku'' is the best known tale to feature this youkai.

%%* {{Bowdlerise}}:

* DisguisedInDrag: Especially in modern versions and adaptations, the amanojaku as male. He dresses up as Urikohime, either through shapeshifting and wearing her clothes or through wearing her skin.

* HappilyAdopted: Urikohime is found as a baby inside a watermelon that was either grown by a childless couple or found floating down the river. They raise her as their own and love her dearly.
* NotQuiteHuman: Urikohime was found as a baby inside a watermelon and her origins aren't cleared up by the fairy tale. She grows up to look and act no different from a human.
* TextileWorkIsFeminine: One of the qualities Urikohime is praised for is her high skill in weaving, which she always does while singing. She's weaving when the amanojaku arrives at her house and manipulates her at letting it enter.

While Urikohime's fate is region-bound, the further story variations are not. Another major one is the presence of a prince. In case he's not part of the fairy tale, the litter is readied for Urikohime to take her to a festival and the amanojaku is killed by Urikohime's father. In case the tale includes a prince, Urikohime is to marry him and the litter is to transport her safely to the palace. The amanojaku is killed either by guards or the prince. As well, instead of acting [[ForTheEvulz for evil's sake]], the amanojaku goes after Urikohime for political influence. Incidental story variations include the villain being a wolf instead of an amanojaku, the amanojaku also being born from the melon, Urikohime falling to her death out of the persimmon tree, Urikohime's parents being tricked into eating her flesh, and the amanojaku's blood also staining the chestnut's and the buckwheat's roots red.

At the very tail end of the 1970s, a [[MirrorMonster Bloody Mary]]-style UrbanLegend developed from the East Japanese version of the fairy tale. It had its popularity in the first half of the 1980s and goes that if one says "Urikohime" in front of a mirror at 12 o'clock, Urikohime's grudge will manifest and kill the one who summoned her.

%%* {{Youkai}}: