Yomotsu-shikome (黄泉醜女)

Name Meaning

Overview

Yomotsu-shikome (黄泉醜女) translates to “ugly women of Yomi,” with “Yomi” referring to the Japanese land of the dead, and “shikome” implying ghastly or repulsive women.

• Yomi (黄泉) = underworld
• Shikome (醜女) = ugly or loathsome woman

Origin

• Found in the Kojiki, one of Japan’s oldest mythological texts.
• Dispatched by Izanami, the goddess of death, to chase her husband Izanagi from Yomi.
• They represent the dangers and defilement of the land of the dead.

Appearance

• Described as hideous, corpse-like women.
• Often envisioned with rotting skin, ragged clothing, and monstrous features.
• Symbols of decay and death.

Behavior & Myths

• They pursued Izanagi after he entered Yomi to retrieve Izanami but fled in terror.
• Izanagi used objects like combs and grapes to slow them down as he escaped.
• They embody the horror of violating natural laws, such as death’s permanence.

Symbolism

• Embody fear of death, decay, and the wrath of the underworld.
• Serve as agents of divine retribution in myth.
• Symbolize the irreversible boundary between the living and the dead.