"Urikohime and the Amanojaku is a Japanse Fairy Tale of the type that starts with a childless couple finding the protagonist as a very small baby. Here that baby is Urikohime (瓜子姫), meaning Melon Seed Princess, for she is discovered within a melon.note The titular amanojaku is the villain of the story. Amanojaku are youkai commonly used in depictions of divine heroes as the evil entities those heroes subdue, but rarely do classic stories incorporate amanojaku. Urikohime and the Amanojaku is the best known tale to feature this youkai.
The couple adopts Urikohime and she grows up to be a fine young lady, reputed for her beauty, her song, and her weaving. One day, the couple has to leave Urikohime home alone and instruct her not to open the door for anyone. This is when the amanojaku strikes. It convinces Urikohime to open the door just a little bit and that is enough to force it open in full.
In versions generally told in West Japan, the amanojaku strongarms Urikohime outside, undresses her, and ties her up in a persimmon tree. Then it dons her clothes and shapeshifts into her image. Upon the couple's return, the amanojaku pretends to be their beloved daughter and takes place in the litter readied for her. The group doesn't get far before either Urikohime's voice or those of the birds taking pity on her warn of the deception. The amanojaku is decapitated on the spot, staining the roots of the millet red.
In versions common to East Japan, the story is much more grim. The amanojaku murders Urikohime, flays her to disguise itself in her skin, and consumes the rest of the evidence. Either curious behavior by the amanojaku betrays it or Urikohime's soul reincarnated as a bird reveals the deception. The amanojaku is killed, staining the roots of the proso millet red."
Yep. If there's one thing Japanese fairy tales have in common with the Grimms' fairy tales from my part of the world, it's in how hardcore they can be when they want!
Anyway, this was more something akin of a little curiosity rather than a fully detailed story, but I thought I'd share it with you. A uniform stealing that's part of a folklore!
Here is the page of the tale on TV Tropes if you're curious:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... eAmanojaku
