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On the island of Kyushu we have a type of well-documented atmospheric ghost light phenomenon called the Shiranui, which comes from Shiranu- hi, or “unknown fire.” These lights will typically appear out over open water in the Yatsushiro Sea and the Ariake Sea, and start off as just a couple of flames, which then multiply until there can be hundreds or thousands of the lights stretching out over miles. Like the others we have looked at here, the Kitsunebi have been sighted frequently right up into modern times, and seem to signify an actual phenomenon. As such, the Kitsunebi are often said to follow people and try to confuse them, get them lost, or cause problems such as fevers or other ailments, and they are often very similar in nature to the legends of Will O’ Wisps, drawing people deeper and deeper into the wilderness, although in other traditions they will guide the way or are seen as a good omen. As with many Japanese tales, the behavior of the lights will vary from area to area, but they are mostly seen as tricksters, with their name coming from the word kitsune, or “fox,” itself well known in Japanese folklore as a trickster spirit. They are said to be most active during hot summers, and can reportedly often be seen in processions of up to hundreds of the lights in a line. Whatever they are, they have never really been adequately explained.Īnother type of ghost light reported in the folklore of many areas of Japan is called the Kitsunebi, or “fox fire," which typically appear as mysterious floating flames like those of paper lantern or a torch, usually orange or red in color, and which will flicker and vanish, only to reappear again further away. In other areas the Janjanbi are drawn to bridges, and in some traditions they can be called out and encouraged to approach by saying “hoi hoi.” The lights are usually said to be the souls of lovers, but at Tōichi castle, in Gifu Prefecture, it is said to be the soul of the military commander Tōtada Tōichi. If they notice a witness, they are said to sometimes approach the startled person or even chase them, depending on their mood. In Nara City they are said to be the souls of two lovers who committed suicide, only to be buried in separate temples, and they can be seen over the Fūfu River, where they will meet, fly around together, and then go back to their respective solitary graves.
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Depending on the area, the origins of the Janjanbi differ, but they are usually said to be the souls of the tragically deceased. One type of hitodama spoken of in Nara, Miyazaki, and Kōchi Prefectures is called the Janjanbi, which derives from the sound they purportedly make, most often described as sounding like “jan jan,” able to be heard before they appear.
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These hitodama are not merely confined to folklore, but are often spoken of in paranormal circles in Japan, with many sightings and purported photographs taken of the phenomenon. According to the lore they will typically appear within 2 or 3 days after a person has died, they are often said to gravitate towards temples and new born babies or pregnant women, and in most regions they are said to be most active on rainy nights. They go by many names depending on the area, such as the tamase in Chiba prefecture or the tamagai in Okinawa, but they are typically described in the same way, being bright orbs of blue, orange, or red, sometimes even trailing a tale behind them as they go. One of the most frequently mentioned types of ghost light reported from all over Japan are the hitodama, which literally translates into “human soul.” They are supposedly exactly that, the souls of the dead separated from their bodies to fly about the night like fireflies. Certainly a place with a rich history permeated by such tales is the country of Japan, which has a vast array of ghost light stories and myths from every corner of the nation stretching back through time, encompassing many aspects of the ghost light phenomenon. Tales of such mysterious lights in the wilderness feature in the local lore and stories of places all around the world, and it is a surprisingly common phenomenon across regions and far-flung cultures. Throughout the world a pervasive paranormal phenomenon is that of ghost lights, often also referred to as spook lights.