Bakechochin: A ghost lantern carried by ghosts, or obake. Bakechochin means “haunted lantern.” The lantern has eyes and a long tongue protruding from its mouth. It serves as a home for the ghosts of people who died with hate still in their hearts and are thus earthbound. If a person mistakenly lights one of these haunted lanterns, the hateful ghost inside will jump out and attack
Buruburu:The “ghost of fear”. The buruburu lurks about in forests and graveyards in the form of a shaking old man or woman, sometimes one-eyed. The buruburu attaches itself to the back of its victim, causing a chill to run up and down the spine. The victim then dies of fright. Variations of this ghost are the zokuzokugami and okubyohgami, which possess their victims and cause them to be too afraid to go anywhere.
Funayuhrei: A ghost ship that travels silently at night or in thick fog. It appears suddenly without sound or lights. Meeting one on the sea is fatal. The appearance of a funayuhrei will cause a ship to start to turn violently in circles and then sink. The doomed ship then becomes a funayuhrei itself. As for the victims, if they are lucky, they drown. If they are unlucky, they might be captured, tortured and eaten by the isohime, a giant, fantastical mermaid that likes to catch the survivors of sinking ships
Gashadokuro: The ghosts of people who have starved to death. The gashadokuro (“starving skeleton”
appears as a giant skeleton—up to 15 times taller than a person—made up of the bones of the starved dead. It roams about after midnight and announces itself with a ringing noise that sounds in the ears. If you do not flee, it will bite off your head with its giant teeth.
Ikiryoh: A spirit that is born of evil thoughts and feelings harbored by a person. The ikiryoh, energized by hatred, becomes powerful enough to leave its source and enter and possess the object of a person’s hatred. Once inside, it kills the victim by slowly draining the person’s energy. The ikiryoh is extremely difficult to exorcise. Rites to drive it away include the reading of Buddhist sutras.
Konakijijii:The spirit of a baby who was left to die in the woods. Konakijijii means “the crying old baby.” It lures people who are out in the woods with the sound of its crying. When people get close, they see that the baby strangely has the face of an old man. If you pick the baby up, you will not be able to let go of it, and it will suddenly become so heavy that it will crush you.
Kubikajiri: A head-eating ghost that lurks about graveyards late at night searching for its own lost head. The kubikajiri eats the heads of both the living and the dead. It announces its presence with the smell of fresh blood. If you see it, you are likely to lose your own head.
Mononoke: The mononoke are a type of ghost comparable to the poltergeist, but which live in inanimate objects. According to Shinto belief, all things, even inanimate objects, have their own unique spirit, or kami, which gives them life. The mononoke, however, like to scare or even kill people. Most of them live in or around temples, shrines and graveyards. Supposedly, priests can drive them away by reciting Buddhist sutras.
Nurikabe: The nurikabe is the “wall poltergeist.” It appears as a large white wall in front of people who are out walking about late at night. If you try to pass the wall, it will fall on you and crush you. If you turn and run from it, it will reappear in front of you. The only way to escape is to hit the bottom of the wall with a stick, and it will disappear.
