Ok, so I understand everything about the game except this. Leading theory right now is a Kappa or a Tengu.Since the game (mostly) takes place in Hinako's head (outside of the opening cutscene where we can see Junko's face with a freecam) we can assume that Junko's mask symbolizes something about her or her husband's family from Hinako's perspective (a surface level interpretation would say that Junko is now a "monster" from Hinako's perspective).Junko's name translates to 潤子, "rich/favor/wet, child" so that might be a hint that her mask is intended to be a Kappa, alongside the overall resemblance of a Kappa mask to her mask. Junko's last name, Kinuta [絹田] just means 'Silk' 'Paddy Field' not very interesting or relevant.
>>722338243I thought it was an owl.
There's a quote somewhere (I forgot where it was) where Hinako talks about how aged and completely different Junko looks after giving birth. I believe Junko's mask is a reference to that.She becomes a Kappa (again, her name refers to a "wet child" but it might be wet as in-- after giving birth, how children are slick with afterbirth, or in reference to her water-breaking), not for any mythological reason in the story, but to symbolize who she has become to Hinako-- a scary monster, physically changed by birth and marriage. There's also the text found scattered about Act 1 about the drowning of children who get close to the reservoirs and rice paddy fields and Junko's last name, by marriage, Kinuta [絹田] means "silk" "paddy field".
>>722339862The tufts on top are ears, which neither owl nor kappa are traditionally depicted as having there. Not sure for what reason that is, but that certainly makes it harder to tell what Junko is supposed to be. Especially when Hinako's mask is so straight-forward looking in design (as a fox mask).
Found the quote"I once went to see Junko in the hospital when she was pregnant. Her morning sickness was so bad that all she could manage between vomiting was groaning. Her hands were rough and chapped, and her face looked as though she had aged decades overnight. When I saw her like that, it was as if the sister that I adored had disappeared. This is what marriage does to a woman. It makes you end up like Junko, like Mom..."
The ears on Junko's mask remind me of "cropped ears" like certain dog breeds have, and also goblins. It might be a stretch but are there any like-- Goblins in Japanese mythology?
>>722342235not goblins but 'yokai' which is kind of a catch-all term for any supernatural beings, there are drawings of creatures resembling goblins but i don't know if they're so named
I just viewed the mask as some sort of bird, with her being viewed as a dead bird to Hinako's baby bird. The mask looks a lot like many karasu tengu masks, and maybe the owl-like ears are to specifically distinguish it from being a crow. Junko's name can also mean "obedient child" and even the "wetness" ties into childbirth with wet soil being bountiful. She's the one who does what she's told and is both rewarded and rewards the family for it. Hinako's name also has a more common meaning of consort, or the wife of royalty.
>>722338243junko enoshima the 16th student lying hidden in this school
>>722342235What do you mean by "goblin"? Tengu was traditionally translated as "goblin"But goblin itself didn't use to mean the kind of fantasy creature we mostly associate the word with now
