Mujina was first seen brushing her hair in the women’s restroom of the Waialae Drive-In Theatre. The witness approached the woman, and the Mujina turned her head, showing her face, which lacked any eyes, nose, or lips.
The Appearance of Mujina
Mujina is almost entirely invisible most of the time. She appears to be capable of being in more than one location at the same time.
Mujina is equipped with “thin, gnarled fingers” and “bony, skin-taut arms with astonishing animal strength.”
Sightings of Mujina
On May 19, 1959, Bob Krauss of the Honolulu Advertiser reported seeing a mujina at the Waialae Drive-In Theatre in Kahala. According to Krauss, the witness observed a woman in the women’s restroom combing her hair, and when the witness got close enough, the Mujina turned, displaying her featureless face.
According to reports, the witness was admitted to the hospital for a nervous breakdown.
In a 1981 radio interview, noted Hawaiian historian, folklorist, and novelist Glen Grant rejected the story as hearsay, only to be called by the witness herself, who provided more details on the occurrence, including the previously unknown fact that the Mujina in issue had red hair. The drive-in is no longer in operation, having been demolished to make way for Public Storage.
Grant has also reported on numerous mujina sightings in Hawaii, ranging from ‘Ewa Beach to Hilo.
The Last Sighting of Mujina the Faceless Woman
The last person to see the Mujina was an elderly trader from the Kyobashi district who died roughly fifteen years ago. This is how he told the story:
He was going up the Kii-no-kuni-zaka one late night when he noticed a woman sitting by the canal, all alone and weeping furiously. Fearing she was going to drown herself, he halted to offer her any support or consolation he could.
She appeared to be a slight and graceful woman, well-clothed, with hair styled like a young girl from a respectable household. “O-jochu,” (Young Girl), he said as he approached her, “do not cry like that!”. Tell me what’s wrong, and if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
But she kept crying, concealing her face behind one of her long sleeves. Young girl, he repeated as tenderly as he could, — “Please, please, please listen to me! This is not a place for a young lady late at night! I beg you not to cry! – just let me know how I may assist you!” The girl gently stood up, her back to him.
She sobbed and cried beneath her sleeve again, but her sobs were slower and more muted. The man’s compassionate heart swelled as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
The guy gently placed his hand on her shoulder, begging the young lady! Young lady! Just for a second, pay attention! Then O-jochu turned around, dropped her sleeve, and touched her face with her hand – and the man noticed she had no eyes, nose, or mouth and screamed and fled.
Conclusion
Mujina, or faceless ghost, is a legendary Japanese monster. She may appear to be look like regular people, yet they are shapeshifters. They frequently pose as someone the victim knows before removing their facial traits to terrify them.
They are also known as a ‘no-face’ or a ‘faceless ghost’ and are mischievous rather than malicious.
Because of the influence of a high number of Hawaiians with Japanese heritage on the islands of Hawaii, the term obake has found its way into the local people’s speech.
Some Japanese myths about these creatures have made their way into Hawaiian culture. Countless kappa sightings have been reported on the islands, and the faceless Japanese ghosts known as Mujina have also become well-known in Hawaii under the name noppera-bō.