Awashima is one of the madams in charge of proceedings during the birth celebratory ceremony held within the Ooku, the emperor’s harem. She holds a position of authority over the new recruits and lower-ranking handmaidens who come to serve at the event.

As a superior, Awashima is depicted as an enforcer of the strict and oppressive environment within the ceremony. She, along with the other madam, Mugitani, is responsible for initiating new arrivals like the young women Asa and Kame. This includes enforcing rituals such as requiring them to drink water from a well that is later revealed to be poisoned by death and making them throw a cherished belonging into that same well. Awashima’s personality is shown through her treatment of those beneath her. She reacts with derision and envy toward Asa when the new recruit’s competence leads to a rapid promotion. Furthermore, she is shown to target the naive and beautiful Kame, using extreme tactics to bully the girl for her inability to carry out her duties and for her youthful exuberance.

Awashima’s role in the story is primarily that of an antagonist to the protagonists, Asa and Kame. Her actions help establish the harsh and oppressive atmosphere of the Ooku that serves as the setting for the film’s supernatural events. Her key relationships are defined by this hierarchy: she is a subordinate to the head of the ceremony, Madam Utayama, and a superior who bullies the newcomers, particularly Kame. In the narrative, Awashima’s development is cut short when she becomes one of the first victims of the mononoke, Karakasa. The spirit attacks her while she is attempting to bully Kame, and Awashima’s body is found completely dried up. Her death serves as a catalyst for the story, demonstrating the deadly power of the mononoke that haunts the ceremony. No notable abilities beyond her positional authority within the Ooku are described.