FUNA-YUREI

Lore

Funa-Yurei are believed to be the spirits of sailors, fishermen, or warriors lost at sea during storms and other disasters. They become ghosts precisely because they cannot find peace in death, wandering ceaselessly across the open waters. In ancient lore, these apparitions were described as the souls of fallen warriors who drowned in naval battles—famous examples include the vengeful spirits of the Taira clan. During the Edo period, these “ship ghosts” came to be associated more broadly with common victims of shipwrecks. They are yurei—unquiet spirits—yet they often manifest as an entire spectral crew, presenting a collective threat rather than a lone phantom.

These drowned apparitions tend to appear late in the evening or at night. Their phantom vessel emerges silently from the mist‑wreathed ocean, gliding across the surface with unnerving grace. The crew is sometimes depicted as waterlogged corpses, crusted with shells. Each one wears a tenkan—a triangular cloth placed on the forehead to signify the soul’s passage into the afterlife.

When you encounter Funa-Yurei, do not expect mercy. They seek only to sink the first vessel they meet, pulling all aboard down into the depths. Ancient scrolls record that these spirits remain bound to their doomed ship, unable to move on until they replace themselves with fresh victims upon the ocean floor.