In Japanese folklore, the faceless apparition with no eyes, nose, or mouth is the noppera-bō.
Noppera-bō are yōkai, or supernatural beings, commonly described as appearing human at first. Their defining feature is a completely smooth face, which they reveal by wiping away their apparent eyes, nose, and mouth. Stories often use this sudden transformation to frighten travelers on lonely roads, near ponds, or in other quiet places.
A noppera-bō is sometimes confused with a yūrei, the Japanese ghost tradition. The distinction is that noppera-bō is identified by its faceless appearance, while yūrei are usually spirits of the dead with particular histories and attachments. Some tales also end with one noppera-bō frightening a victim, who then encounters another disguised as a familiar person.
The name is often translated as “faceless ghost,” although noppera-bō is more precisely a yōkai motif than a single named individual.