Tradition / Region: Japan (Shimonami Village, Kitauwa District, Ehime Prefecture)
Alternate Names: Shirami Yūren (related)
Category: Sea spirit / ghost
The Myth
In Shimonami Village in Ehime Prefecture, Shirami is said to appear in the sea at night. It is believed that the spirits of the dead sometimes enter the water and swim through the darkness, glowing white as they move across the surface.
Fishermen who witnessed these glowing figures referred to them as baka. However, it was believed that if the spirits heard themselves being called by this name, they would become enraged. In their anger, they would cling tightly to a boat’s oar, bringing misfortune or disaster upon those at sea.
A similar phenomenon is known from Uwajima folklore as Shirami Yūren, which was later introduced by Shigeru Mizuki. These accounts are thought to describe the same or closely related manifestations of restless spirits appearing upon the water at night.
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
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Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive