Nure onna are vampiric sea serpents who haunt shores and rivers looking for humans to eat. They are most commonly found on the shores of the island of Kyushu, but there are stories of nure onna encounters as far north as Niigata Prefecture and as far east as Fukushima Prefecture.
There are two variations: one without arms, which resembles an enormous sea serpent with a woman’s head, and one with human-like arms. Aside from this difference, the two look and act in exactly the same manner. Their faces are hideous and don't have serpent-like features such as a forked tongue. They have long black hair which sticks to their dripping bodies. Their name comes from the fact that they always appear soaking wet.
While physically much stronger than a human, nure onna prefer not to rely on brute force and use trickery and guile to catch their prey.
They most often appear near the water, on a coast or by a riverbank. Nure onna magically disguise themselves as a distressed woman carrying a bundled up baby. They cry out for help from fishers, sailors, or anybody passing by. When the prey approaches, a nure onna will plead with their victim to hold her baby for just a moment so that she can rest.
If he agrees and takes the bundle, the “baby” becomes as heavy as a boulder. The victim is unable to move. The nure onna is then free to attack her helpless victim, feeding by draining his blood with her long, serpentine tongue.
Nure onna frequently appear together and cooperate with ushi oni, as they inhabit the same environments and share the same diet.