Nuppeppō

The nuppeppō as illustrated by Toriyama Sekien.

In Japanese folklore the Nuppeppō (ぬっぺっぽう) (also known as Nuppefuhō) is a yōkai that is genderless and estimated to be up to 1.5m in height. It is described to have a flabby appearance and its appearance is accompanied by a pungent body odor. It appears as a blob of flesh with a hint of a face in the folds of fat. It is also described as having fingers and toes that are vaguely defined lumps.

The Nuppeppō is passive and unaggressive. The body odor is said to rival that smell of rotting flesh. Other theories claim that the Nuppeppō is actually decaying flesh. There is a rumor that states that those who eat the flesh of a Nuppeppō shall have eternal youth.

The Nuppeppō aimlessly wanders deserted streets of villages, towns and cities, often at night towards the year-end, or graveyards or abandoned temples. It is normally solitary, but there are sightings of them in groups. Fingers and toes may be attributed as features amidst of fold of the skin.[1]

This creature appears in the Wii game Oboro Muramasa Youtoude. In the PS2/Wii game Ōkami, inside a sunken ghost ship, there is a creature that resembles a Nuppeppo.

References

  1. ↑ Clayton, James (2010-02-20). "One Hundred Mythical Creatures in Haiku: Day LXXXII - Nuppeppo". Hundredmythologyhaiku.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-01-27.

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