【 The Snow Woman Who Became a Bride 】 Classic Japanese Ghost Story

In a touching Japanese folklore, a solitary young man in the mountains unknowingly marries a Yuki-Onna, whose fate is intertwined with winter’s cold.

Japanese Title

Yome ni natta Yuki-onna / 嫁になった雪女

Translation

The Snow Woman Who Became a Bride

Location / Origin

Yamagata Prefecture / 山形県

The Story of 【 The Snow Woman Who Became a Bride 】

Once upon a time, in a remote mountain area of Japan, there lived a young man alone.

On a blustery, snowy night, after returning home, the young man was drying his wet clothes by the hearth (irori) when a beautiful woman came to his door. 

She said, “Good evening. I’ve lost my way, may I stay here for the night?” 

The young man kindly welcomed her in and stoked the fire to warm her, but she seemed uncomfortable with the heat and stayed away from the hearth.

The next morning, instead of leaving, the woman busied herself with cooking and cleaning, eventually becoming the young man’s wife. They led a happy life together. However, as spring approached and the weather warmed, the woman grew increasingly listless. The young man tried to comfort her, saying, “Once it’s fully spring and warmer, you’ll feel better. Hang in there.”

One day, when the young man returned from his mountain work, his wife was nowhere to be found. He searched the house and found a letter she had left. 

It read, “Thank you for everything. I am a ‘Yuki-Onna,’ a Snow Woman, and I will perish this summer. I wanted to bear a child while I still lived, so I became your wife. Thanks to you, I am now pregnant with a daughter. I don’t want you to see me die, so I am returning to the mountains. Goodbye.”

The young man went to the mountains and searched for her every day, but he never found his wife again.

The end.

Note

Cultural Background

Glossary