Onihime literally means demon princess: a woman with the nature of demon or a female demon.

A famous ancient tale is the Hashihime (The Bridge Princess) Legend. A woman who suffered lonely nights waiting on her lover's return then transforms herself into a fierce "oni" or demon fueled by jealousy. Though her appearance is alternately beautiful and terrifying, and her powers are deadly, her feelings are nonetheless driven by human emotions and needs.

Onihime was originally commissioned as a woodwind octet by Kazuhiko Tsuchiya, director of Tamagawa Academy. In the revised band version (2019) percussion and winds are added to significantly enhance the original orchestration. It can be performed with as few as 13 to 30 players and some solos are doubled by other instruments. More material also has been added to the original work.