Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: つるべ女
Category: Skeleton
The Myth
Tsurube Onna is a mysterious yokai depicted in the Japanese illustrated book Kaidai Gahon, published in 1881. Its appearance is almost identical to that of Kyōkotsu, a skeletal supernatural being illustrated by Toriyama Sekien in Konjaku Hyakki Shūi. Like Kyōkotsu, Tsurube Onna is portrayed as a ghostly, skeletal figure with a frightening, deathlike appearance.
The illustration of Tsurube Onna reproduces the design of Kyōkotsu with almost no visible differences, giving the two beings essentially the same appearance. However, the creature is presented under a different name in Kaidai Gahon. No distinct legend describing Tsurube Onna’s origins, behavior, or supernatural powers is provided, leaving its identity primarily defined by its eerie skeletal depiction.
Sources
“釣瓶女 (Tsurube-onna).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1038457276.html