# Japanese horror story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280 "2002-04-07T05:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/1 "2002-04-07T05:16:26Z")
I read a Japanese short story once, and I wonder if anyone can tell me the name. It involves a man who must climb a haunted road after dark. He is warned to watch out for a faceless demon. At the end of the story he reaches the top of the road and meets an old lady (beggar woman?). He tells her of the demon. The dialog is something along these lines: WOMAN: And the demon’s face is like unto an egg? MAN: Yes. WOMAN (revealing her non-face): Like THIS? ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/2 "2002-04-07T05:31:36Z")
I’ve read several variants of that story. I read one when I was quite small, and the idea of a faceless person scared me so much that I still have nightmares about it. ::shudder:: ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/3 "2002-04-07T05:52:30Z")
That… sounds freaky ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/4 "2002-04-07T05:58:37Z")
Here ya go! [Mujina](http://www.trussel.com/hearn/mujina.htm) There are several versions on line, so this may not be _exactly_ the version you remember (it’s not the same as the one I remember either-- it has a “soba-man” at the end instead of a woman, but is otherwise spot on). This thing sacred the bejesus out of me when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/5 "2002-04-07T06:16:14Z")
I think the legend is also called the “Faceless Woman” From the link that **Rosebud** got before me: After the guy finds the crying woman the tale ends like this: > [@](#): > > Then that O-jochu turned round, and dropped her sleeve, and stroked her face with her hand;— and the man saw that she had no eyes or nose or mouth,—and he screamed and ran away. > Up Kii-no-kuni-zaka he ran and ran; and all was black and empty before him. > On and on he ran, never daring to look back; and at last he saw a lantern, so far > away that it looked like the gleam of a firefly; and he made for it. It proved to be > only the lantern of an itinerant soba-seller, who had set down his stand by the > road-side; but any light and any human companionship was good after that > experience; and he flung himself down at the feet of the old soba-seller, crying > out, “Aa!—aa!!—aa!!!”… > > “Kore! Kore!” roughly exclaimed the soba-man. “Here! what is the > matter with you? Anybody hurt you?” > > “No—nobody hurt me,” panted the other,—“only… Aa!—aa!”… > > “—Only scared you?” queried the peddler, unsympathetically. “Robbers?” > > “Not robbers,—not robbers,” gasped the terrified man… “I saw… I saw a woman—by the moat;—and she showed me… Aa! I cannot tell you what > she showed me!”… > > “He! Was it anything like THIS that she showed you?” cried the soba-man, > stroking his own face—which therewith became like unto an Egg… And, > simultaneously, the light went out. A recent retelling of that legend appeared in the Hayao Miyazaki animated movie _Pom Poko_: Tanukis (animals native to Asia which look like raccoons) were threatened by the destruction of their habitat. Banding together and seeking help from other tribes of Tanuki, they live up to their traditionally mischievous reputation by changing their shape and trying to sabotage the construction effort. The Tanukis scare the hell out of the night guard in the same way as the Faceless woman, complete with the final twist and lights out! That movie is Full of Japanese Ghost lore. And is Funny and sad. And lets not forget that this tale is told in many ways in many parts of the world: > **[Sydney Business Announcements](http://www.ulrc.com.au)** > > Club Med Confirm Continuing Strong Bookings for Their Bali Beachside Resort Club Med confirm strong ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/6 "2002-04-07T09:18:14Z")
Well, you learn something new every day! The only thing I’d heard of was the idea of “Nopperabou”, which is a ghost or monster with no face. I had no idea there was a whole story attached to it, or that there was a different name too. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-horror-story/102280/7 "2002-04-08T00:33:59Z")
_Mujina_ is exactly the story. Thanks!