Shinigami Order

Lore & Background

The source discusses yōkai as part of Japanese folklore, noting that they are a vast range of beings including ghosts, demons, and tricksters. It mentions that yōkai are also referred to as ayakashi, mononoke, or mamono. The source describes how in the Edo period, artists like Toriyama Sekien invented new yōkai by taking inspiration from folktales or purely from their imagination. It also explains that the concept of yōkai varies throughout Japanese culture and historical periods, with older time periods having a higher number of phenomena deemed supernatural. The source does not mention any 'Shinigami Order' or organized hierarchy of death spirits.

In Their Own Story

The source does not provide any narrative or story elements about a 'Shinigami Order'. It contains no characters, events, or settings related to such an organization.

Reader's Guide

Based solely on the source, there is no information about a 'Shinigami Order' to guide readers. The source focuses on yōkai in Japanese folklore, their classifications, and historical context, but does not reference any fictional series or fan concepts.

Did You Know?

• The kanji representation of the word yōkai comprises two characters that both mean 'suspicious, doubtful'.
• In the Heian period, collections of stories about yōkai were published in multiple volumes, starting with the Nihon Ryōiki and the Konjaku Monogatarishū.
• The ritual for converting ara-mitama into nigi-mitama was known as chinkon, meaning 'the calming of the spirits' or 'requiem'.
• During the Edo period, artists like Toriyama Sekien invented new yōkai by taking inspiration from folktales or purely from their imagination.
• The word yōkai became the standard term for supernatural beings in modern Japan due to Meiji-era scholar Inoue Enryō, who established an academic discipline called yōkaigaku.