Japanese Ghost

by: ~nhennYah~

                      

         According to Japanese beliefs, all people have a soul called reikon. When a person dies, the reikon(soul) leaves the body and enters a form of purgatory, where it waits for the proper funeral and post-funeral rites to be performed, so that it may join its ancestors. If this is done correctly, the reikon is believed to be a protector of the living family and to return yearly in August during the Obon Festival to receive thanks.

        However, when a person is murdered, commits suicide, or when he/she hasn’t been given an appropriate funeral, the reikon  may become a yuurei to seek revenge. Many yuurei are female ghosts who suffered badly in life from love, jealousy, sorrow, or regret.

       The yuurei then exists on Earth until it can be laid to rest, either by performing the missing rituals, or resolving the emotional conflict that still ties it to the physical world. If the rituals are not completed or the conflict is left unsolved, the yuurei will persist in its haunting.    

--Different types of Yuurei--

          

       Classified on how they died and the reason for their return:

        --Onryo--

                    Vengeful ghosts who come back from purgatory for a wrong done to them during their lifetime.

       --Ubume--

              A mother ghost who died in childbirth, or died leaving young children behind. This yuurei returns to care for her children, often bringing them sweets.

       --Funayuurei-- 

              The ghosts of those who died at sea. These ghosts are sometimes depicted as scaly fish-like human and some may even have a form similar to that of a mermaid or merman.

       --Goryo-- 

              Vengeful ghosts of the aristocratic class.

          --Samurai Ghosts-- 

              Veterans of the Genpai Ghost who fell in battle. Warrior Ghosts almost exclusively appear in Noh Theater. Unlike most other yuurei, these ghosts are usually shown with legs.

       --Seductress Ghosts-- 

              The ghost of a woman or man who initiates a post-death love affair with a living human.

Other Japanese Ghost                               

—Toyol—

         A toyol ia a dead baby who has been revived by a demonic ritual in which it will serve whom ever revises it. It is small, it has green skin and has red eyes. We can compare the toyol to tiyanak here in the Philippines.
                                 
                               

                                    

—Bakechochin—

          It is a haunted lantern that is believed to have eyes and a long tongue that protrudes from its mouth.  It serves as a home for the ghosts of people who are stuck here on earth because they died with hatred in their hearts.  Once the lantern is lit, the ghost will jump from the inside of the lantern and attack the person(s) responsible for lighting the lantern. 

                                          
                         

—Gashadokuro—

          A ghost of people who have died in hunger.  It appears as a skeleton 15 times taller than a regular person and is made up of the bones of the starved dead.  After midnight it will announce its present with a ringing noise that people hear in their ears.  If you do not run away quickly it will bite off your head.

                           

—Kubikajiri—

          A head eating ghost that lives in graveyards and as is seen late at night searching for its head.  It feasts on the heads of the living and the dead alike.  One can smell the creature before it is seen because it smells of fresh blood. (i’m just wondering how can it eat it’s victims head off if it doesn’t even have a mouth??)

                              

--Umi Bozu--

                A huge sea ghost that haunts sailors. It is bald with enormous terrifying eyes.

--Hantulangsuir--

              A small ghost with only a head and tail.  This spirit seeks blood and is constantly on the look out for fresh blood.

--Buruburu-- 

                 The ghost of fear.  It lives in the forests and graveyards.  It takes the form of a shaking old man or woman and sometime only has one eye.  It will attach itself to the back of its victim sending a chill up and down the spine.  The selected victim then dies of fright.

--Funayuhrei--

               A ghost ship that travels silently in the night or in a thick fog.  It will appear suddenly catching ships off guard.  If a shop meets a funayuhrei it will turn violently in circles before sinking.  Then it too will become a funayuhrei left to roam the seas in search of other poor unfortunate ships.

--Nurikabe--

             A wall ghost that appears as a large white wall in front of anyone who is out late at night walking.  If you try to pass around the wall it will fall on you crushing you.  If you try to turn around and run from it, it will continue to appear in front of you blocking your path.  It can be defeated only by taking a stick and whacking the bottom of the wall.  

--Tsukumogami-- 
                  A poltergeist ghost that inhabits tools.  The name means old tools.  This ghost will inhabit old tools and perform chores and repair work by themselves at night.  If the tools are mistreated, abused, neglected or discarded the it will take revenge by attacking the human perpetrators as they sleep at night.

           These are a few Japanese ghosts and spirits that walk the paths and roadways of Japan.  You will see that some are very similar to ghosts of other cultures while some appear to be unique to Japan. Even here in the Philippines, we have our own ghosts that only us Filipinos believe.

--there are different types of yuurei shown in these video--
i just don't know if these is true??
but it is quite real ..