I recently read some Japanese ghost stories from the book called Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn. I found that the Eastern Japanese Horror genre to be a refreshing take on ghost stories. In the both the short stories I read, it explains the idea of the Japanese ghost and how they function. Assuming before death, the ghost is angry or dissatisfied, the ghost is able to draw upon its last intention before dying and abide by it.
Since the Japanese generally realize this, they are able to use this last wish to carry out intentions post-mortem. I find this fascinating because it reinforces the idea that humans aren’t limited to their mere earthly existence. It creates a fantastic idea that allows one to wonder about the afterlife. According to the short stories Diplomacy and Of a Mirror and a Bell, a person can make the conscious choice to become an apparition if they activate the right ingredients in their final mindset.
The Japanese infuse a sense of drama that occurred before the ghost’s death which gives the ghost more depth upon discovering their history. The ghost isn’t just there for any reason. Usually it seems to be a punishment by fate or to seek revenge.
The afterlife for the Japanese isn’t only limited to a simple ghostly figure. Sometimes they have distinct characteristics like no face or even a monstrous form. The creativity of Japanese apparitions and ghost stories also seemingly often utilizes their religion as a device in weaving their tale. In the Kwaidan, the monster was a monk who was punished and reincarnated as a monster forced to perform tasks related to death.
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