Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Jorōgumo, Jorō Kumo
Category: Spider
The Myth
The Jorōgumo is a supernatural spider that can transform into a beautiful woman to deceive and ensnare humans. It is one of Japan’s most famous spider yōkai and is often associated with lonely houses, forests, waterfalls, and secluded places. Some traditions identify the guardian of Jōren Falls on Mount Amagi as a Jorōgumo.
In its true form, the Jorōgumo is an enormous spider capable of spinning vast webs. It can disguise itself as an elegant young woman, or sometimes an older woman, using beauty, charm, and conversation to lure unsuspecting victims into its trap.
One famous tale tells of a wealthy samurai named Sonroku, who spent his summer afternoons resting at a secluded villa. One day an elderly woman appeared and claimed that her beautiful daughter had fallen deeply in love with him after hearing one of his poems. She led him to a magnificent mansion where the daughter, a stunning young noblewoman dressed in colorful silk, begged him to stay with her forever.
Although captivated by her beauty, Sonroku refused because he was already married. As the mysterious woman desperately clung to him, the entire mansion suddenly vanished. He found himself back on the veranda where he had fallen asleep only moments earlier.
Looking around, Sonroku noticed a small female spider walking nearby while countless spiders covered the eaves with webs. He then remembered chasing away a spider with his pipe a few days before, just as the old woman in the vision had claimed her mother had been driven away with a pipe. Realizing the entire encounter had been the work of the spider spirit, he ordered every web removed, and the strange visitations never returned.
The Jorōgumo is remembered as a dangerous shapeshifter that uses beauty, illusion, and desire rather than brute force, patiently weaving both webs and deception to capture its victims.
Sources
TYZ. (n.d.). Jorōgumo [絡新婦]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654252.html