Hashihime (橋姫) is a character first appearing in Japanese Heian-period literature, represented as a woman who spends lonely nights waiting for her lover to visit, and later as a fierce “oni” or demon fuelled by jealousy. She came to be associated most often with a bridge in Uji.
Very little is known about the origin of Hashihime. The most common interpretation is that she was a lonely wife pining for her husband/ lover to return but due to his being unfaithful she became jealous and turned into a demon.
Hashihime first appears in a Kokinshu (ca. 905) poem, of which the author is unknown:
Hashihime’s name also appears in Murasaki’s the Tale of Genji, as the title of a chapter. She is also mentioned several times in the waka poems throughout the work.
A myth regarding Hashihime in today’s culture is that if a pair of lovers comes across Hashihime, they will either have to end their relationship or die. The name Hashihime appears in the manga title “Hashihime Purei Senka”.