Ungaikyō 雲外鏡

Ungaikyō (雲外鏡), the “Mirror Beyond the Clouds,” is a terrifying spirit that inhabits ancient, bronze mirrors, capable of showing the viewer everything except their own true self.

Meaning and Origin

The name means Un (Cloud), Gai (Outside/Beyond), and Kyō (Mirror).

Its origin is rooted in the ancient Chinese and Japanese belief that mirrors are portals to the spiritual realm. Ungaikyō is a Tsukumogami that arises from a mirror that has reached its 100th birthday and has spent that century reflecting things other than human faces—specifically, if it has reflected many Yokai or evil spirits. Legend says that on the 15th night of the 8th lunar month, the spirit of the mirror awakens and transforms into a monster. It represents the Duality of Truth—the fear that what we see in the reflection might be more real than what stands before it.

Characteristics

Ungaikyō is depicted as a floating bronze mirror with a face that emerges from the metal surface. It has sharp teeth, a long tongue, and eyes that glow with a cold, metallic light.

Its primary characteristic is its Deceptive Reflection. When a human looks into an Ungaikyō, they do not see themselves. Instead, the mirror shows them their “Internal Demon”—a monstrous, distorted version of their soul that highlights their deepest sins or fears. It can also act as a Supernatural Window, showing events happening thousands of miles away or even the true forms of other Yokai that are disguised as humans. It is said that once you look into an Ungaikyō, you can never truly trust your own eyes again.

Legends

One chilling legend tells of a noblewoman in the Edo period who was obsessed with her own beauty. She sat before her heirloom mirror for hours every day. On her 100th birthday (and the 100th year of the mirror), she looked into the glass and saw a horrific, rotting hag with snakes for hair.

The woman went mad with terror, thinking she had been cursed or had aged overnight. In reality, the mirror had become an Ungaikyō and was showing her the “Ugliness of her Vanity.” The legend ends with the mirror shattering, but for the rest of her life, she saw the “hag” in every reflection, even in pools of water. Ungaikyō is a reminder that while a mirror can show you the world, it can also trap you in a reality that is far more terrifying than the one you live in.