Nopperabo - のっぺら坊 - [Yokai]

Noppera-bo - のっぺら坊.

• About this yokai: a classic yokai appearing as a normal human, but without a face: featureless and "Smooth, like unto an Egg" - They often attack in teams Impersonating humans, in most cases it plays the role of an imposter (often someone the victim knows) then, it quickly wipes away its features for a scare. - Most often its a Henge yokai (often mujina or tanuki) in disguise. 

• The most famous "Noppera-bo" story is from "Lafcadio Hearns" - "Kwaidan" - The story, in a nutshell, goes a little like this:

"One night, At a time before streetlamps, An old merchant from the Kobayashi quarter, was on his way home down Akasaka road in Tokyo, The man had decided to take a short cut down kii-no-kuni-zaka slope (a quiet road behind the palace.) - There he heard a woman crying at the side of the road by the castles old moat, she was all alone and weeping bitterly. The man, fearing that she was going to drown herself, went over to comfort her and offer her any assistance he could give.

As the man knelt down to ask her what was wrong... The girl turned to face him, wiping away her face, she had no eyes or mouth!!!  

The man ran away screaming, down the black & empty road, onwards he ran into the night, never looking back. he soon came across a lantern flickering like a firefly in the distance. – Desperate, he made for it; Someone was selling Soba. – The old man flung himself at the vendors feet. Catching his breath, The man cried: "Aa!––aa!!-Aaa!!"

The concerned vendor asked what was wrong? Had he been robbed? – The flabbergasted old man tried to explain: No, he hadn't been robbed, but he had just seen a girl by the moat - But, he just couldn't properly describe what he had just seen...

The soba-seller rubbed his chin curiously, "OH! Was it something like THIS!?" he said, Stroking away his face, it had become smooth like an egg... The old merchant fainted at the sight."

[my Nopperabo is inspired by 1853's Kyōka hyaku monogatari [狂歌百物語]

• Related yokai: Henge yokai, Shirime, Ohaguro Bettari. Despite similar spelling it is not to be confused with the stinky blob "Nuppepo."

Art by Samkalensky Part of my night parade of 100 demons sticker collection check my shop for many more!

My version has a person face so you can draw any face you want on it! or i'll draw one on it for just a dollar exta. if this one sells out, I might do a kimono clad girl version sometime too.