#Nure onna

[laugtherhyena]

Plant woman and her giant snake gf

[lutrinelemon]

so this is a really neat site i found and uhh i wanna share it with my *looks around* my sleep paralysis demon or smth idk lmaoo it has region filters for the yokai, tags, habitat, diet, translation, legends, etc.

[ghienreviewme]

Giải thích phim Exhuma: Quật mộ trùng ma

Exhuma – Quật mộ trùng ma là bộ phim kinh dị đang làm mưa làm gió ở các rạp Hàn Quốc và cũng đang làm cộng đồng fan hâm mộ ở Việt Nam xôn xao đi tìm câu trả lời cho các thắc mắc sau khi xem xong. Ghiền review sẽ giúp các bạn cảm thấy được giải tỏa với bài giải thích phim dưới đây trên cơ sở suy luận, tìm tòi và tham khảo một số nguồn quốc tế.Vì đây là bài giải thích phim nên chắc chắn sẽ tiết lộ…

[at7artblog]

Some more yokai, two kinds of Nure-Onna and an Iso-Onna

[lumilasi]

Here it is, an update to Erena. She was just...really boring originally, and didn't contrast enough with her LI Ayame (personality/story vise)

Maybe now I'll actually draw them together lmao

Bio below:

Name: Erena Mizuka

Name translation: Water route, beautiful water

Nicknames: Rena-chan (Ayame) mama (Mari)

Age: Unknown, appears in her early thirties.

Height: 171 cm

A water dwelling vampiric spirit turned priestess & mother to fulfill a promise she made to a late friend.

Role: Head priestess/Guardian spirit of a healing water temple

Family: adoptive daughters Mari and Karuna

Love Interest: a snow woman called Ayame

Friends: Murasaki family

Powers:

Hydrokinesis: She can control water at her will, both for healing purposes but also for attack and defence. She can also use water as a conduit for looking into people's memories or an object's past. She can also use water to send messages to people, as long as there is a water source nearby them.

Water breathing/movement: being a water spirit, Erena can breathe underwater and basically move along its currents as if she was part of the current itself.

Hair: She can use her hair as a weapon to bind things, typical ability for her kind.

Shapeshifting: in full spirit form, she can change her size at will, namely being able to turn into a giant. She can only do this in water though, and her form needs to fit within the pool of water.

Singing/voice: She can mesmerize people with her singing, and put them to sleep. Erena can also shriek loud enough to stun people and shatter eardrums.

Blood: She can suck people's blood to strengthen herself, though mainly uses this ability in select few cases nowadays; either to get rid of poison in someone's blood (as she's immune to majority of them) drain a dangerous enemy to protect her home, or as a friend's favor, by asking someone to let her have a quick sip. (mostly she feeds on animal blood on her everyday life)

WEAKNESSES:

Since she does need to drink blood to sustain herself, if she avoids it for too long, she'll become very lethargic and weak. Outside areas with lot of water she is also weaker, unable to summon enough to use her powers properly.

Cutting her hair hurts her if not done with correct tools, that being said it is also incredibly difficult to cut without the said right tools. Possible, but difficult.

Because she made an official pact to protect the temple, she can't really leave the temple grounds until this pact is fulfilled. She can only project herself into different water surfaces to message someone.

Her giantess trick only works if the body of water is large enough for the size she wants to go to; she needs to be able to submerge herself for the most part, leaving only her eyes and top of head visible.

PERSONALITY:

Erena typically comes off as calm, polite and collected person, who is very professional and takes her role as the head priestess/guardian seriously. She's very patient and caring even with fussy patients, mostly. Once she does snap and get tired of someone being difficult, she makes that very clear very quickly, typically scaring the person into behaving. All the while smiling pleasantly like usual.

She is a very caring mother and very protective over girls, scrutinizing any potential "suitors" pretty closely. Especially male ones. That being said, if you manage to gain her trust, she'll feel safe enough letting them go with you, such as how she lets Mari and Karuna visit her friend family, the Murasakis who run a bathhouse located in a lake inland that the river from their shores leads to.

Erena can be quite ruthless if she wants to be however, not taking kindly to anyone damaging her temple or hurting her daughters and rest of the temple staff. Anyone trying to cause harm gets very swiftly punished by it, even with their lives if needed.

Overall, she seems like a pleasant, professional healer and a caring mother, who does have a very scary side to her that shows up if needed. (basically, she's bit of a yandere)

FUN FACTS:

Erena was initially very suspicious of Milo - Mari's LI - but warmed up to him pretty quickly upon seeing how insanely pure - and preciously dumb - he was.

Erena loves matcha tea, and matcha flavored treats. She was also introduced to coffee by Hanma, and likes it too

She can eat human food just fine, it just doesn't nourish her as well as blood does. Her favorite human foods therefore tend to be dishes that include blood in them. (or she adds it to the recipe)

Her voice claim is Tamayo from Demon Slayer

Even in human form, she tends to use her hair powers to pick up and move things, or trap unruly patients who refuse to sleep (Milo)

Her favorite animal is scrunchy nosed dogs like pugs, mainly because they remind her of her late demonic little friend, an ushi-oni/ox demon with stunted growth, who died trying to protect her shortly before she became the guardian of the water temple.

generally, these demonic beings agree not to devour people around the shores of the temple peninsula, as it is under her protection.

Erena has special scissors infused with her magic that'll allow her to tidy up her hair whenever needed without causing pain.

She has loose black pants under her robes.

She can act almost like an overtly excited school girl around Ayame, wanting to show her around and talk with her. This is initially a bit overwhelming for the poor ice woman, but she eventually starts getting more comfortable around her.

BG STORY TBA

[oktlg]

[ghienreview]

Giải thích phim Exhuma: Quật mộ trùng ma

Exhuma – Quật mộ trùng ma là bộ phim kinh dị đang làm mưa làm gió ở các rạp Hàn Quốc và cũng đang làm cộng đồng fan hâm mộ ở Việt Nam xôn xao đi tìm câu trả lời cho các thắc mắc sau khi xem xong. Ghiền review sẽ giúp các bạn cảm thấy được giải tỏa với bài giải thích phim dưới đây trên cơ sở suy luận, tìm tòi và tham khảo một số nguồn quốc tế.Vì đây là bài giải thích phim nên chắc chắn sẽ tiết lộ…

[yggdrazzil]

OC Monster Characters - Designs

Nubia (Nure-Onna)

Long Mei (Dragon)

Frygga (Theropod)

[f-adan]

Day 19, of the @MinionKingKarl, (Twitter), challenge, #31DaysofYokai : Yokai Nure Onna

Interesting this type of yokai 🐍

[evolutionsvoid]

I think a thing that needs to be said about ecosystems is that no matter how pretty they are, they are still the wilds. I know this sounds painfully obvious, but I feel like it is something that is still widely ignored. When it comes to dark jungles or eerie bogs, sure, people worry about dangerous monsters and hidden perils. But if it were some picturesque mesa or lush meadow, where the scenery is absolutely captivating, I feel people kind of get lost in the majesty of it all. They think themselves in some magical land, or a painting come to life! They cease to be aware of the fact that they are still in the wilds, and that the same rules apply. People will stand there dumbfounded, or blindly walk across dangerous terrain, or just ignore the fact that wild animals are afoot. Why do I bring this up? Because some of you people are way too casual about coastal areas! Particularly the places one would call "beaches!" You see a sunny sandy beach next to a gentle ocean and just throw all cares away! Start acting like you're on a resort, where there are fancy drinks and hunky lifeguards a plenty! Riptide? What's that? Say, what are these colorful birds with the weird club arms? How pretty! It never ceases to baffle me how quickly one's guard drops the second they see a nice stretch of beach far from civilization. Just rip off all your clothes and throw yourself into the waters without a second thought! One good thought to have would be "hey, does anything live there?!" That might be good to figure out before you dive headfirst into the water, or throw a towel down onto the sand, or just start grabbing random shells with your bare hands are you serious!? Sorry if I am getting a little ranty here, but oh how it drives me mad! Not only are you spoiling a good spot to do some wildlife watching, but you are also throwing yourself blindly into danger!

I bring this all up because it was meant to be a short little lead in to the species I wanted to talk about, but look where that got us. What I was meaning to do was say that I have seen this behavior all over the world, the sheer stupidity that befalls people when they see a sunny beach. And while in most cases things end up being just fine, there are a few times where fools wind up getting bitten. Literally. In one region, there is a telltale sign of when someone succumbs to this spell. When they come stumbling back into town with a nasty bloody bite on an arm or leg, you know full well someone tried to have a beach day on Nure-onna territory.

The Nure-onna are a species of reptile that is found out on the coast in subtropical regions. I know sharp eyed readers may note my vague description of calling it "a reptile." Why do I say that? Shouldn't I just say it is a snake? I mean, just look at it! Well, the reason why I chose "reptile" is because we aren't fully sure yet what the Nure-onna is, be it snake or lizard. Yes, it has a long serpentine body that it slithers with, but there are species of legless lizards out there. Sure, it has very small forearms, which would rule out snakes, but does it really? And then some people cite the prominent fangs as a snake feature, while others point out the strong muscly jaws as something more lizard-like. I find it hard to say, because I get swayed back and forth whenever people start piling on arguments, but currently I feel the Nure-onna is some kind of primitive snake. Perhaps a relic of when ancient snakes started losing their limbs, but the Nure-onna hung onto theirs.

Regardless if it be a legless lizard or a faintly legged snake, the Nure-onna is a reptilian creature with a greatly elongated body, bright splotchy patterns and a pretty distinct look. Their serpentine bodies have bright red patches of color over top white scales, making them pretty eye-catching! They possess tiny, nearly atrophied forearms, which still have claws, but they do very little. At times, they can help give traction over smooth stone, and some say that males use them during mating to better grip the females. Going to the head is where things get more interesting, as they possess very strong, brutish jaws, and a surprising shock of hair! In truth, this black mane of "hair" is actually made up of long, thin scales, which cascade off the body and bunch up together to create this illusion. Some folk compare them to very crude feathers, as if the Nure-onna tried to make feathers but gave up nearly instantly into the process. So what is the reason for having this odd collection of scales? Well, it appears that it helps them soak up the heat of the sun more, on days where simple basking isn't enough. They can be seen curled up beneath this mane during colder days, helping trap in what little heat they have, while also using the black scales to better absorb sunlight. Some also think this curling up helps disguise them from prey and predators, hiding in the shadow of rocks with this tactic. It should be pointed out that this hair is also useful for creating the illusion that makes them so infamous. Because Nure-onna have a particular shape to their heads, and curious markings too! Add in this hair, and their threatening pose of holding their upper bodies high, and the snake (or lizard) suddenly becomes a human woman!

Okay, well, not entirely a human woman, but you can see where the mistake can be made at a glance. Scary stories like to say that this is meant to lure in human prey, or disarm them with their seductive feminine appearance, but in truth, it seems more like a coincidence. People seeing similarities in certain patterns. One of the reasons I say this is because these facial markings vary slightly between individuals, and greatly between regional species. Some have patterns that are strikingly human, while others look like they were trying to apply makeup during an earthquake. So this variation suggests that this is not a particularly important appearance that they must uphold exactly. Nature doesn't seem to think it is worth anything, but that doesn't mean there wasn't some kind of selection to be had here! Some theories claim that locals long ago selectively bred certain populations to get that distinct face look to their patterns. Certain nobles and warlords liked having these human mimicking serpents around, and kept them as pets. To be clear, there was no domestication to be had here, more so having a serpent that looks like it has a face but also one that is down for taking a chunk out of intruders and people you don't like.

With a toothy maw like that, the Nure-onna is obviously a predator. They scour the beaches for prey, hunting the sands, shallows and rocky areas. They use their long bodies to slip into tight spaces and burrows, while also using quick bursts of speed to chase down prey. Their strong jaws are good for grabbing on and never letting go. They are also pretty decent at cracking open shells of crabs and other coastal invertebrates, and if their teeth don't do the trick, bashing them against rocks also helps. Nure-onna use the tactic of "bite down hard and don't let go til it stops moving." They coil around prey and chomp down, waiting to the fight drains out of their meal. If prey is larger or more feisty, they may twist and thrash their bodies around while latched on to do some real damage and maybe tear off a chunk of meat. If they can't down their food, at least they get a free mouthful!

While their typical menu is usually crustaceans, fish, small reptiles and the occasional washed up carcass, Nure-onna are known for attacking larger things. More so, they are known for being very aggressive and territorial. They are an ill-tempered lot, always perceiving others around them as potential threats or competition. While other critters may flee at the sight of a human, the Nure-onna would stand its ground til they got too close, and then the fight is on. Their way of dealing with predators is to essentially be so aggressive and bitey that they give up and find something that doesn't fight so much. Due to this nature of theirs, Nure-onna territory is marked and avoided, as people trespassing on a day the Nure-onna are out and about results in getting chased down and bitten. Obviously, not everyone listens to these warnings. They will see an isolated beach with no one else around and think they found paradise, only to find serpents pouring from the rocks and racing across the sand with teeth bared. This aggression results in the Nure-onna being labeled a "maneater," with the belief that they happily hunt and consume humans. But it actually is more that they chomp onto oblivious tourists and then consume the corpse if they succumb to the squeezing and biting. They don't specifically target people, but they won't say no to a human carcass after they have bitten their throat out.

Though Nure-onna are feared and avoided due to their strong bite and anger issues, people do hunt them from time to time. Typically, if someone wants to settle upon a coastal stretch of land, the Nure-onna are going to have to go, as you can't make a beach town with these things around. And even for villages that are already established, lone Nure-onna may travel here and try to setup shop, which thus leads to culling. Their meat is said to be quite good (though very bony) and their hides and hairs enjoyed in fashion and ceremonial garb. As mentioned before, some folk a long time ago tried keeping Nure-onna as pets, or more so punishment for others. They weren't exactly lap dogs, more so creatures that knew who fed them and who didn't have food. You would keep them in pools or moats, and let them chew on intruders who tried to sneak in. Thus, this is why it is believed these face patterns appeared, as owners selectively bred them before the trend was given up on and they were released into the wilds. In stories, people like to play up the feminine appearance of Nure-onna, pretending that they can perfectly mimic woman. They also like to use this species as minions for evil-doers and sorcerers, who unleash these faced serpents upon foes. One story claims a sorcerer used some Nure-onna to kill and rob people who walked the beach. He would cast a curse on a pretty looking stone and then leave it in the sand, so someone would see it and pick it up. Once touched, the cursed rock would bind them to the spot, weighing down on them as if it was a boulder. The serpents would emerge from their hiding place and devour the poor soul, and the evil fellow would gather what coin and jewels were left on the shredded carcass. Neat tactic, though a bit convoluted for simple banditry. I guess points for creativity?

Though the attempts at keeping Nure-onna as pets has fallen away for humans, I will say another species has formed a bond with these savage serpents, seeing that they indeed make good guards! But that is a story for another entry!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

--------------------------

"Nure-onna"

May of went too face-like for this thing, but ah well.

[kittynumyum]

Kitsune and the Pantheon

(I have yet to make a full design for Sarugami)

The Pantheon are a mysterious group of powerful yokai who claim themselves to be demigods, with their gift of immortality and immense mystic powers that differentiate them from the rest of yokaikind. It is even said that they were the first yokai to ever exist.

Kitsune: A fox yokai who is the eldest of the Pantheon. She is known for her variety of mystic powers and tricks. She is first seen in the Shredder Arc, where she is Shredder's right hand (other than Tatsu). She is then seen again in the Baron Draxum Arc, where she is Draxum's right hand.

Tengu: An eagle yokai who is the second eldest of the Pantheon. He is known for his mystic powers in powerful weather-like abilities (thunder, earthquakes, etc.). He takes his duties more seriously.

Bakeneko: A cat yokai who is the youngest of the Pantheon. They are known for shapeshifting and playing with fire. They are very mischievous.

Nure-onna: A snake yokai who is the second youngest of the Pantheon. She is known for her deadly poison and cataclysmic powers (yes this is based off of Cat Noir, shut up). She is very scary.

Sarugami: A monkey yokai who is the middle sibling of the Pantheon. He is known for his immense strength. He does not speak at all.

Hinoenma: ?

And they all share one goal:

To free their father, Ryujin, and destroy the world.

(Also, you may notice that, excluding Kitsune, the other Pantheon members may look familiar from a specific movie).

[laugtherhyena]

Hoshi art i made in the past few days + one from last year i forgot to post here

[thryth-gaming]

Pathfinder 2e - Nure-Onna

The Nure-Onna is a monster in the game Nioh 2 and it looks a bit like this.

They have a rather distinctive fighting style and they're fairly difficult if you're not used to them, moving about in hard to manage ways.

So, I'm going to do a 1-20 build of a character like this in Pathfinder 2e. I've messed with this a little bit, finding out you could make this sort of character by accident. Some things I'm going to put on priority:

The paralyzing stare (actually, I can get a legitimate petrification ability)

The association with water.

The forceful attacks and focus on grappling.

I'll try to work in the thing with the darts, but not sure I'll be able to make it. I could try for the whipping hair, but I think that would requiring taking a dedication into Witch and I'd rather keep the Feats.

1st Level

Basics

Ancestry: Nagaji

Heritage: Sacred Nagaji

Background: Song of the Deep

Class: Monk

Ability Boosts

Nagaji: Constitution and Strength

Song of the Deep: Strength

Monk: Dexterity

1st Level: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma

Skill Training

Acrobatics: Trained

Athletics: Trained

Intimidation: Trained

Lore: Ocean: Trained

Performance: Trained

Stealth: Trained

Saving Throw Proficiency

Fortitude: Expert

Reflex: Expert

Will: Expert

Class, Defenses, and Weapon Proficiency

Perception: Trained

Simple Weapons: Trained

Unarmed Weapons: Trained

Unarmored Defense: Expert

Monk Class: Trained

Features

Low-Light Vision (Nagaji)

Brawling Tail (Sacred Nagaji)

Flurry of Blows (Monk)

Powerful Fist (Monk)

Speed: 25 ft, 10 ft Swim

Feats

Ancestry Feat: Water Nagaji

Class Feat: Reflective Ripple Stance

Bonus Feat: Breath Control

Reasoning: Song of the Deep gives the ability to breathe water, Water Nagaji gives a Swim Speed. Water Nagaji also gives Breath Control which seems extraneous when she can breathe water, but it's useful against gas too. I originally opted for Gorilla Stance and while it points to the raw strength of the attacks, it also limits to only the gorilla slam attacks. Also, just the name evokes what I'm thinking of.

Performance is just for fun due to a bit of art a friend of mine shared me. Not familiar with the artist, so won't place it here.

2nd Level

Class Feat: Crushing Grab

Skill Feat: Slippery Prey

So she can do damage in a grapple and also avoid being grappled.

3rd Level

Skill Increase: Athletics

General/Skill Feat: Titan Wrestler

Mystic Strikes

Incredible Movement

So she can grapple bigger things.

4th Level

Class Feat: Ki Rush

Skill Feat: Underwater Marauder

Ki Spells: Occult

For more movement options. Underwater and speed in general. Went with occult because yokai feel more like something on the darker side.

5th Level

Ancestry Feat: Serpent's Tongue

Skill Increase: Stealth

Ability Boosts: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence

New Skill Training: Diplomacy

Alertness

Expert Strikes

6th Level

Class Feat: Ki Blast

Skill Feat: Assurance: Athletics

Well, so, with Ki Blast basically lets me do the dart volley. (Though it doesn't have the paralytic aspect of the attack in the video game) Assurance Athletics to make her attempts to grapple and trip more reliable.

7th Level

General/Skill Feat: Wall Jump

Skill Increase: Athletics

Path to Perfection: Fortitude

Weapon Specialization

More proficiency with Athletics, better Fortitude saves and more movement.

8th Level

Class Feat: Dragon Stance

Skill Feat: Quick Squeeze

Ability to get through tight spaces quicker and another stance to use when I need it. Also, this will be interesting later.

9th Level

Ancestry Feat: Serpentine Swimmer

Skill Increase: Intimidation

Metal Strikes

Monk Expertise

Faster swimming and scarier.

10th Level

Class Feat: Dragon's Roar

Skill Feat: Say that Again!

Ability Boosts: Exterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma

An intimidating roar appropriate to the Nure-Onna from the game, an ability to punish someone trying to scare you.

11th Level

General/Skill Feat: Battle Cry

Skill Increase: Intimidation

Path to Perfection: Reflex

Another scary scream and increased scariness.

12th Level

Class Feat: Flurry of Maneuvers

Skill Feat: Quick Climb

A quick ability to climb. Flurry of Maneuvers lets her do grapples and trips for Flurry of Blows.

13th Level

Ancestry Feat: Disruptive Stare

Skill Increase: Acrobatics

Graceful Mastery

Master Strikes

The acrobatics helps her move better and the disruptive stare lets her interfere with enemy spellcasters.

14th Level

Class Feat: Winding Flow

Skill Feat: Too Angry to Die

Too Angry to Die basically describes a lot of yokai, and Winding Flow is more movement.

15th Level

General/Skill Feat: Feather Step

Skill Increase: Athletics

Ability Boosts: Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom

Path to Perfection: Will

Greater Weapon Specialization

Her Athletics is now Legendary, which means she now has a Climb speed through Quick Climb and she can step into difficult terrain.

16th Level

Class Feat: Medusa's Wrath

Skill Feat: Terrified Retreat

This completes the list of things she can do with gazes and people will flee from her as well.

17th Level

Ancestry Feat: Venom Spit

Skill Increase: Intimidation

Adamantine Strikes

Graceful Legend

And this gives us the ability to have the poison spit ability from the Nure-Onna (could have taken this a while ago, but it was low on priority). And now she's legendary in Intimidation.

18th Level

Class Feat: Diamond Fists

Skill Feat: Skeptic's Defense

Diamond Fists increases the amount of damage she can do while Skeptic's Defense can punish casters trying to scare her.

19th Level

General/Skill Feat: Scare to Death

Skill Improvement: Stealth

Perfected Form

20th Level

Class Feat: Fuse Stance: Dragon+Reflective Ripple - Nure-Onna

Skill Feat: Swift Sneak

Ability Boosts: Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma

So, this is why I wanted both Dragon and Reflective Ripple Stance, the 20th level Class Feat allows for fusing their benefits into a single form. And now she scan sneak very quickly.

End build:

I'm sure I have some inefficiencies in here since I'm new to the game, but I was building more toward flavor.

[zapperona]

Nure-Onna & Jorōgumo

I decided to design Ragatha as if she were my two favourite Japanese yōkai!

[bestiarium]

The Ushi-Oni [Japanese folklore, yokai]!

Japanese folklore has a rich repertoire of strange beasts, spirits and creatures. And as Japanese Yokai go, the Ushi-Oni is one of the older ones. Though usually depicted as a giant spider with the head of a bull, some sources portray it with a feline body, resembling a monstrous bull-headed tiger. Regardless of its appearance, the Ushi-Oni is a cruel and vicious creature that enjoys killing people. In some versions this monster makes its home on mountains or in forested areas, but usually it is an aquatic spook, living either in the sea or in freshwater rivers, lakes or swamps.

The Ushi-Oni is married to a different monster: the Nure-Onna. This female fiend resembles a large snake with a human head and arms. She is an aquatic creature and lives near shores and riverbanks.

The two monsters work together to ambush people, with each having a set role: first they wait on a shore or coast for someone to pass by. When they spot a lone traveller, the Nure-Onna transforms into a young human woman holding an infant. She then walks up to the intended victim and asks them to hold her baby, and if they do, she casually walks into the sea and disappears, leaving the victim confused and holding a baby.

Whether this baby is a sentient, separate entity or merely a magical illusion is unclear, but its weight magically increases when the victim is holding it. Eventually, the child is so heavy that the traveller is unable to move without dropping the infant. At this point, the bull-headed Ushi-Oni emerges from the sea and pounces on the unfortunate victim to devour its prey.

In the 14th century epic ‘Chronicle of Great Peace’, the hero Watanabe Tsuna faces and eventually defeats an Ushi-Oni.

Sources: Yoda, H. and Alt, M., 2016,  Japandemonium Illustrated: the Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama sekien. This work is a translation of the Gazu Hyakki Yagyo by Toriyama Sekien in the 18th century. Marks, A., 2023, Japanese Yokai and Other Supernatural Beings: Authentic Paintings and Prints of 100 Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Magicians, Tuttle Publishing, 240 pp., p. 122. (image source 1: Vongraven on Artstation) (image source 2: Bakemonozukushie, an Edo period scroll currently in possession of the Brigham Young University collection)

[nobrashfestivity]

Unknown from Kaikidan Ekotoba monster scroll

e Kaikidan Ekotoba, a mysterious scroll with 33 legendary monsters and human oddities, mostly from the Kyushu region of Japan (with several from overseas). It is believed to date from the mid-19th century. It is now in the possession of the Fukuoka City Museum.

The snake woman pictured here was reportedly encountered by six people on Mt. Mikasa in Nara prefecture. Five of the eyewitnesses died instantly. The sixth person survived long enough to make it home and tell the tale, but he grew ill and died three days later. The snake-bodied woman resembles the notorious nure-onna, except that this one has a beautiful face.