Nuppeppō ぬっぺっぽう

Nuppeppō (ぬっぺっぽう), the “Blob of Flesh,” is one of the most bizarre and physically revolting creatures in Japanese folklore—a walking, smelling lump of fat that is said to grant eternal youth to those brave enough to taste it.

Meaning and Origin

The name comes from the Japanese word nupperi, which was slang for someone with a flat, dazed expression or a woman wearing too much white makeup.

The origin of the Nuppeppō is mysterious, but it is often described as a “botched transformation.” Some believe they are immature shape-shifting yokai (like Mujina or Tanuki) that got stuck halfway through a transformation. Others claim it is a Tsukumogami formed from the discarded flesh of dead humans. It was famously documented by Toriyama Sekien in 1776.

Characteristics

A Nuppeppō appears as a flabby, roughly humanoid blob of pinkish-tan flesh about 1.5 meters tall. It has lumpy, undeveloped stumps for hands and feet, and its “face” is simply a series of deep folds in its fat that vaguely resemble a human expression.

Its most defining—and stomach-churning—characteristic is its overpowering stench. It smells like rotting meat and ancient corpses, an odor so strong it can cause people to faint. Despite its clumsy appearance, it is surprisingly fast and nimble, often seen running through abandoned streets at night.

Legends

The most famous sighting of a Nuppeppō occurred in 1609 in the courtyard of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period. A “lump of flesh” was found wandering his gardens. Terrified that it was a curse, the shogun ordered his guards to remove it.

Later, a scholar informed Ieyasu that the creature was actually the “Feng” from ancient Chinese medicine. According to legend, the flesh of the Nuppeppō is the ultimate elixir—eating it is said to grant a human incredible strength and eternal youth. Ieyasu famously regretted letting the creature go, though most modern enthusiasts agree that considering its smell, the shogun probably made the right choice for his appetite.