The "Azuma Kagami" which was written by Hangaku's contemporary related that "(If compared to Hangaku Gozen,) even the fair lady grave keeper ('Ryoen no sho [bijo]' in Japanese, referring to a poem of the same title by a Chinese poet Bai Juyi [Hakurakuten or HAKU Kyoi]) would look ugly," that is, Hangaku was portrayed as beautiful, whereas the "Dainihonshi" (Great History of Japan) and some other literature of the succeeding generations described her as a plain woman.
同時代に書かれた吾妻鏡では「可醜陵園妾（彼女と比べれば）陵園の美女ですら醜くなってしまう）」「件女面貌雖宜」、すなわち美人の範疇に入ると表現されているが、大日本史など後世に描かれた書物では不美人扱いしているものもある。