The Japanese wordSorei (祖霊, lit. "Founder/Ancestor/Antecedent Spirit") refers to thespirits of ancestors: Specifically, it refers to the spirits of those ancestors that have been the target of special memorial services that have been held for them at certain fixed times after their death. The dates and the frequencies of these services vary widely depending on the region of Japan.[1][2] Suitable occasions may for example be 33 and 50 years after death.[3]
A special belief connected withsorei is the notion that the memorial services result in the ancestral spirit successively losing its individuality, eventually becoming an entirely deindividualized part of the collective ofsorei.[1] However, depending on the region, people may think that these services are merely aimed at properly disposing or pacifying the ancestral spirit.[2]
The folkloristYanagita Kunio has asserted that the rituals and ideas aroundsorei could be fitted into a general scheme whereby ancestors become not only protectors, butkami orujigami. However, while it is possible that in the distant past such a development with regard to certain ancestors has occurred, according to other scholars that cannot be proven.[2] Contemporary Japanese may, in relation to their recently dead, not think about the ancient notion ofujigami at all, but they do have a notion about the spirits of the dead becoming some sort of enlightened being. Indeed, another word for the departed soul isin Japanesehotoke, which also means Buddha.[4]
 | This article related to religion in Japan is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
 | This article relating to Japanese mythology is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |