#iyaya

Iyaya the yokai.Art by Toriyama Sekien.

The Iyaya is a yokai recorded in Toriyama Sekien's yokai illustrations,Konjaku Hyakki Shui.It's image is depicted as a beautiful woman from behind,with an old man-like face reflected on the surface of the water.In the books of yokai manga artist Shigeru Mizuki and researcher Katsumi Tada,it's name is stated to be "Iyami" and it appears to be a beautiful woman at first glance,but it's face is wrinkled and ugly like an old man's.It is said that when people see it from behind and think it's a beautiful woman,then call out to it,Iyaya would turn the face towards them to startle them.

「巫女」::                                   “I’m sure it had quite a lot of fun with cat callers! Though I can also imagine getting very disheartened and tired of people freaking out every time it turned around too. That’s got to be one sad and lonely existence…I feel bad for the Kuchisake-onna in that regard as well…Though she’s much more brutal and disturbing.”