Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Princess Demon
Category: Demon
The Myth
Hime Oni is the daughter of a demon who appears in the Kyōgen play Kubihiki (“Neck Pulling”). She is a young female demon who has never eaten a human before.
While Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo was passing through Inamino in Harima, a terrifying demon suddenly appeared and attacked him, intending to devour him. However, the demon decided that Tametomo would make a suitable first human meal for his daughter. He called his daughter and ordered her to eat him.
The demon princess approached Tametomo, but instead of attacking him, she was struck by his fan. Frightened by the blow, she cried out that it hurt and ran away. Her father became angry when he heard that Tametomo had struck his daughter and confronted him again.
Tametomo explained that he had only accidentally hit her while using his fan. He then proposed that he and the demon princess settle the matter with a contest. If she defeated him, he would allow himself to be eaten, but if he won, she would spare his life.
The first contest was arm wrestling. The princess reluctantly returned and, urged on by her father, accepted the challenge. However, she was far too weak to compete with Tametomo and was defeated almost immediately. She cried out in pain and ran away again, causing her father to become furious with Tametomo.
Tametomo then proposed a shin-pushing contest. Once again, the demon princess was easily defeated and burst into tears, while her father angrily confronted Tametomo.
Finally, Tametomo suggested a neck-pulling contest. In this game, a rope is placed around each person’s neck and the two opponents pull against each other. The princess agreed, and the contest began.
Her father acted as referee, but he became increasingly worried as Tametomo gained the advantage. He stopped the contest and declared that the difference in strength was too great. He then ordered his other demons to help his daughter.
The contest resumed with a large group of demons standing behind the princess. The father took the lead, and all of the demons pulled together on the rope.
Suddenly, Tametomo removed the rope from his own neck. The demons, still pulling with all their strength, were thrown backward by their own momentum and fell scattered across the ground. Tametomo used the confusion to escape, finally getting away from the demons.
Sources
Takahashi, Toshihiro. “姫鬼 [ひめおに] (Hime Oni).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). May 5, 2018. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1070781396.html