Wide open goggle-like eyes, a wrinkled face, an extremely emaciated body and long disheveled hair - all of the elements of this yūrei’s appearance are designed to terrify the viewer. The bared black teeth tell us that she is a woman. She is painted in black ink overall,
but her eyes are colored blue as if she were bearing a consuming grudge quietly but powerfully. On careful examination, we can observe the use of an interesting effect in
this painting. The lattice pattern of shōji (paper sliding door) is depicted vaguely with the shironuki technique (outline on a colored background). The color of the shōji paper is beige and the ghost appears as if she were looking out from between the roughly torn papers. She and her background are depicted in dark tones. The contrast of color between her and the shōji is impressive and eerie, and adds to the uncanny feeling the painting emanates.

Anonymous