The spirits in Japan are by far some of the most interesting because there is such a wide variety of them. Even within their separate factions of ghosts there are sub-categories. The ghosts that exist in Japan are almost all called yurei’s, however there are special classifications and names for different yureis depending on how the person died. A yurei of someone who died at sea is different from a yurei of someone who died in childbirth, each having different reasons for returning and different names. Japanese ghosts typically come back for one of three reasons. Either they died violently, through something like murder or suicide, did not have their funeral rites performed properly, or they were influenced by powerful emotions, such as jealousy, rage, or love.
History
A majority of yureis, if not all, are female because the Japanesse believe that women are capable of experiencing deeper emotions than men. It is, however, possible for men to be yurei’s as well. The most common, and popular, yurei is the Onryō, a vengeful spirit who has come back from purgatory to right a wrong done onto them. Male onryō are rare and because of this they don’t have the special characteristics the females have. Female onryō usually always are pale white with long black hair that covers their face. Like all yurei, they are said to not have legs and simple hover above the ground, but wear long dresses to cover that fact. This type of yurei is also popular among wester audianced, being the main character of such movies as The Ring and The Grudge. Of course the onryō is not the only spirit in the country, and all yurei in Japan are not vengeful and dangerous. Abume are the ghosts of women who died with small children or in childbirth. Yet instead of coming back to cause harm others the abume return to see their children and give them sweets up until they are old enough to go without a mother. Zashiki-warashi are the yurei of deceased children who aren’t necessarily dangerous, just highly mischievous. They are considered house spirits who typically dwell in the zashiki of a house, a common room in Japan, hence the name, which translates literally into “zashiki child”.
Travel Information
Japan is full of haunted locations, called one of the most haunted countries in the world. This is likely because their belief in spirituality is stronger than other countries. Still, one of the most fascinating places is the Abandoned Takakanonuma Amusement Park. The park was built in 1973, but closed down after two years because of mysterious deaths that occurred within the park. After several years the park was re-opened in 1986, but was closed again in 1999, never to be opened again. A deep, continuous fog surrounds the overgrown grounds and the location isn’t even listed on maps. What is known is that the park is located 250 km away from the North of Tokyo. The location is said to be one of the most haunted in the world. A plethora of yurei are said to have been sighted in this location by the dozens upon dozens of people who continue to visit the park.
Contrary to the dreary vibe of Takakanonuma Amusement Park, the north of Tokyo is a lively city. As the park is about two hours away from the city, staying there is the best bet, as there is verifiably nothing surrounding Takakanonuma besides the forest. There is plenty to do in the north of Tokyo, from day tours around the city, to historic locations, such as Nikko, home of the famous Nikko Toshogu Shrine, and more places to eat than could ever be listed. A trip to Tokyo is worth it for the whole experience, paranormal included, in the most haunted country on earth.
Temporary Citations:
http://yokai.com/zashikiwarashi/
https://maskofreason.wordpress.com/the-book-of-mysteries/know-your-ghosts/eastern-asia/yurei/
http://www.bizarbin.com/worlds-scariest-places/
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/takakonuma
http://faculty.humanities.uci.edu/sbklein/ghosts/articles/Yurei.pdf