rokurokubi; long-neck woman
A yōkai from Japanese folklore, often depicted as a woman whose neck can stretch to great lengths or move independently at night.
The rokurokubi is a yōkai whose neck stretches at night.
A rokurokubi appears in the old tale.
Means 'potter's wheel' or 'pulley'; the name ろくろ首 may be related to the stretching motion, but the exact etymology is uncertain.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this yōkai.
Full kanji spelling using rare characters; mostly seen in older or specialized texts.
The name combines ろくろ (possibly from 轆轤, 'pulley' or 'windlass', referring to the stretching motion) and 首 (くび, 'neck'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a well-established term in Japanese folklore.