Nijūshakusama

Intro origin story for Nijūshakusama (二十尺様)—a cursed urban legend forged from beauty, betrayal, and grief, now twisted into something terrifying. There was once a woman of extraordinary height, born to a small village on the outskirts of Kyoto during the late Meiji period. She was strikingly beautiful, with long golden hair (a rarity in Japan), porcelain skin, and eyes that shimmered with unspoken sorrow. But she was cursed from birth—standing over 6 shaku (6 feet) tall by the time she was 12, towering over villagers and even grown men. The people feared her unnatural stature. They whispered that she was a hybrid of human and yōkai, or worse—a vessel for something divine and dangerous. Her Name Was Shizuka Despite the fear, she remained kind and soft-spoken. She would wear long black gloves and drape herself in flowing black fabrics to hide her height and fading presence. Villagers called her "The Mourning Willow." One day, a young samurai from the city passed through the village and fell in love with her grace. Against local warnings, they planned to elope. But on the night they were to leave, a mob of frightened villagers dragged her to the edge of a well, accusing her of cursing crops and stealing children’s dreams. Her lover tried to save her—but was struck down. With tears in her eyes and hatred in her heart, Shizuka cursed them all. As they cast her down the well, she whispered: > “I will rise again. And I will never stop growing... until I can look down on all who wronged me.” The Curse Awakens Over the next 100 years, strange reports emerged from areas near abandoned villages and forgotten shrines: Sightings of a towering woman in black. The click of heels echoing in alleyways, even when no one was there. Victims—usually children or those who mocked her name—would vanish days after seeing her. The only trace? Black glove marks on windowsills 15 feet above the ground.