Uwan うわん

Uwan (うわん), the “Startling Sound,” is a disembodied voice that haunts abandoned homes and lonely roads, existing only to rob humans of their composure with a single, thunderous shout.

Meaning and Origin

The name Uwan is purely onomatopoeic—it is the sound of the creature’s own cry.

Historically, Uwan is an Edo-period creation, appearing in scrolls like the Hyakkai Zukan. He is the personification of “the noise that shouldn’t be there.” While he is often given a physical form by artists (that of a grotesque, three-fingered demon), many folklore scholars believe the “true” Uwan has no body at all. He is a phantom sound produced by the shifting wood and settling dust of old temples that takes on a supernatural life of its own.

Characteristics

When depicted physically, an Uwan appears as a wild-haired, fanged demon with only three fingers on each hand (a classic sign of an Oni). He is usually shown in a lunging position, eyes wide and mouth open as if caught mid-shout.

His primary characteristic is his voice. He doesn’t whisper or speak; he waits for a person to enter an empty space and then releases a deafening “Uwan!” directly into their ear. He is a master of timing, striking only when his victim is most relaxed or distracted, causing a shock that can be so intense it leads to a temporary loss of the victim’s “inner spirit” or vitality.

Legends

The “legend” of the Uwan is a game of mental strength. It is said that the Uwan can only harm you if you are startled by him. If you enter an abandoned house and hear his thunderous cry, you must immediately shout “Uwan!” back at the shadows.

By reflecting his own sound back at him, you reclaim your spiritual space and prove that your will is stronger than the phantom noise. If you fail to respond and instead faint or run away in terror, the Uwan is said to follow you, turning your own home into a place of echoes and fear. He represents the simple fact that in the dark, the loudest thing in the room is often our own unchecked anxiety.