Japanese ghosts are known for holding a grudge. These phantasms tend to be portrayed in the white garments used to clothe the dead.
A Deeply Held Grudge
Japan’s ghosts, known as yūrei, typically appear wearing their white funeral garments, and have long, unkempt hair, and a tapering lower body with no legs or feet. Like many Western ghosts, they commonly have unfinished business in this world; this is often a deeply held grudge and desire for vengeance.
Some of Japan’s most famous ghost stories come from the Edo period (1603–1868). In one variation of one of the best-known tales, a servant girl called Okiku flings herself into a well after breaking one of 10 precious dishes; after her demise she haunts the well, endlessly counting the dishes, only ever reaching nine. In another story, a devoted wife called Oiwa is slowly poisoned by her husband, returning from the grave to wreak her vengeance as a ruthless spirit.
(Originally written in English.)
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