yūrei

thumb|Yūrei, Bakemono no e scroll, [[Brigham Young University]] are figures in Japanese folklore analogous to the Western concept of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, (yū), meaning "faint" or "dim" and (rei), meaning "soul" or "spirit". Alternative names include , meaning ruined or departed spirit, , meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing or . Like their Western counterparts, they are thought to be spirits barred from a peaceful afterlife.

==Japanese afterlife== According to traditional Japanese beliefs, all humans have a spirit or soul called a . When a person dies, the reikon leaves the body and enters a form of purgatory, where it waits for the proper funeral and post-funeral rites to be performed so that it may join its ancestors. If this is done correctly, the reikon is believed to be a protector of the living family and to return yearly in August during the Obon Festival to receive thanks.