A hitodama illustrated in the 1715 encyclopedia Wakan sansai zue (Japanese-Chinese Illustrated Assemblage of the Three Components of the Universe). (Courtesy the National Diet Library)
In the later Edo period, it was common for yūrei to appear in kabuki, providing inspiration for ukiyo-e artists. At left is Shimobe Fudesuke (The Servant Fudesuke) from Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s Wakan hyaku monogatari (One Hundred Tales from Japan and China) series, while at right is Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Asakura Tōgo bōrei no zu (The Ghost of Asakura Tōgo). (Courtesy the National Diet Library)
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