Photo/Illutration A sculpture inspired by Kuwazu Nyobo sits on a bench in Fukusaki, Hyogo Prefecture, on Aug. 29. (Toru Amemiya)

FUKUSAKI, Hyogo Prefecture--In the hometown of famed folklorist Kunio Yanagita, a female spirit with a monstrous secret has joined the “yokai” ghouls and hobgoblins that await tourists brave enough to visit the town.

Fukusaki officials are employing these yokai to promote the town's image.

Twenty sculptures of supernatural beings featured in Yanagita’s (1875-1962) works adorn benches across the town, to the delight of horror-hungry visitors.

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A large mouth on the back of the sculpture of Kuwazu Nyobo (Toru Amemiya)

This newest sculpture, inspired by the folktale of “Kuwazu Nyobo” (The Wife Who Didn’t Eat), was unveiled here on Aug. 29.

The story tells of a hard-working woman who seemingly never eats, but is discovered to have nightmarish appetites.

The sculpture, like the folktale, contains a grotesque revelation.

When viewed from the front, the sculpture depicts an alluring young woman in a Chinese-style dress, her long locks flowing in the breeze. But first appearances can be deceiving.

When viewed from behind, a second mouth, hideous and gaping, can be seen emerging from the back of her head, surrounded by a nest of tentacle-like hair, which ravenously clutches a horde of rice balls.

“It is the first bench with yokai that has completely different designs on the front and the back,” said an official of the design company that produced the bench. “We will be happy if visitors scream when they go around the back.”

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