The Urban Legend:

 

   Hachishakusama (  八尺様 ) is an entity that appears as a hauntingly pale, eight foot tall woman. Her limbs are abnormally elongated. It is believed that her appearance can vary depending upon her choice of intended prey. She is most commonly depicted with long black hair, wearing a white dress, and donning an elegant white hat. Alternatively she has been depicted wearing a black dress. Sometimes Hachishakusama wears a straw hat or no hat at all. Other times her appearance is more frail and her hair is stark white. Hachishakusama's face isn't usually seen behind her hair. Some speculate that her face is horrifyingly deformed or abnormal, while some artists have romanticized her appearance as very attractive. Another notable quality is a noise Hachishakusama makes. Her only form of verbal communication consists of saying “Po(h)” or “ぽ” in a deep male voice.

 

   There does not appear to be any connections between Hachishakusama's prey, but that she usually abducts children or teens between the ages of 3 to 17. She prefers to lure her potential victims away from safety before attempting to take them. Given the right circumstances Hachishakusama's prey can escape by running and hiding. If she successfully grabs them there is usually no escape. Hachishakusama's strength is far greater then her appearance suggests. It is not known what she does with her victims. Some theorize she feeds off their youthful life essence and others suggest she may take them to the afterlife. The insidious truth may be worse then mankind could imagine, but all that is actually known is that the poor souls are never seen again.