Shirakoya Okuma

, also known as Kuma, was a Japanese woman who attempted to murder her husband with the help of a maid. The incident inspired bunraku puppet plays.

Biography Kuma was the eldest daughter of , the head of a timber wholesaler in Shin-Zaimokucho, in the business district of Nihonbashi, Edo (modern-day Tokyo). She later married a man named .

She was the instigator of the , in which she conspired with her maid to kill her husband on October 17, 1726. She was caught, convicted, and on December 7, the presiding judge Ōoka Tadasuke sentenced her to death. At 23 years old, on February 25, 1727, Kuma was paraded through town and gibbeted. Her head was displayed in Asakusa and later buried. Her grave is currently at in Minato, Tokyo. and for the heroine of Bai-u kosode mukashi hachi-jo, a Kabuki drama written by Kawatake Mokuami.

Summary of events In the early morning of 17 October 1726, , Kuma's sixteen-year-old maid, attacked Matashirō, Kuma's husband, with a razor while he was sleeping. Matashirō fought back and suffered a minor injury to his head. Matashirō survived as his wounds were shallow and he called for help after subduing Kiku.

The Shirakoya family proposed a private settlement to Matashirō's family. However, according to rumors, Matashirō and Kuma's marriage had become increasingly strained, and Kiku's motive for the crime was unknown. Therefore, Matashirō's family became suspicious of Shirakoya and reported the incident to the police on October 20. When the magistrate's office investigated Kiku, she confessed to being an accomplice to Kuma in the attempted murder.