Old Waialae Drive Theater, Honolulu


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The old Waialae Drive-In in Honolulu is reportedly haunted by a faceless female ghost, a type of Japanese obake (ghost) or nobo, that often appears in the women's restroom. The legend describes the ghost as having long hair but no facial features, limbs, or feet, which suddenly appears in the mirror, causing the viewer to faint or experience a nervous breakdown after the ghost vanishes when they turn around. The ghost's origins are linked to a mujina (trickster spirit) from Japanese folklore, but other stories suggest it is the spirit of a woman who suffered a tragic loss, leading to her "loss of face" and subsequent haunting. The most common description is of a woman with long black hair but no facial features, limbs, or feet, according to the Mana Maoli Collective Facebook page. She is said to appear in the women's restroom mirror, appearing as a normal woman before her features disappear, leaving a featureless expanse. Some accounts describe seeing the figure first in a mirror and then, upon turning to face it, realizing it has no face. Some also claim the drive-in is haunted by the spirits from a nearby cemetery. Rumors about the ghost circulated in 1959 and resurfaced in 1982. Multiple first-hand accounts from the period between 1965 and 1992 documented sightings of the faceless ghost. The story has been reported in newspapers, further embedding it in local legend.

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