As we have seen, the Chinese and Japanese idea of a demon or ghost (Chinese gui/Japanese oni) can vary widely in the stories we’ve seen. How would you variously define these creatures, based on our readings? Factors you might wish to consider in answering that question: How do they relate to the world of the living? Can these examples of ghosts tell us anything about Chinese and Japanese concepts of death and the afterlife? Another perspective on this: how do these texts view interactions between the human world and the world of ghosts? Are they always negative, or can good come of them? What factors might affect a “good” interaction and a “bad” one?
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