Jo Cartwright is travelling to Tokyo without her ever-attentive husband. Persuaded to take advantage of her unexpected liberty, she accompanies her friends for a night out on the town. A night out that ends in murder. Police Inspector Okitsu claims an open-and-shut case against a local man, suspected of being a serial killer. Sergeant Mitsu Ota disagrees. She knows the vengeful spirit Kuchisake-onna, the slit-mouthed woman, has returned. Who is right? Is there really a ghost of an abused woman killing at random? If so, why is she so interested in Jo? What does Kuchisake-onna see in the nervous, downtrodden Westerner? What parallels exist between them? And why is Kuchisake-onna interested in Jo's husband, the domineering Richard Cartwright? Can Sergeant Ota stop Kuchisake-onna? Can she understand what motivates the spirit of the dead woman? Will she be able to save Jo? Whatever happens, Sergeant Ota is going to learn that the actions of a vengeance demon are nothing compared to the horror of domestic abuse and conforming to traditional values.