Note: Jōbutsu — Japanese Views of the Afterlife

There is a concept in Japan called jōbutsu.
In its original Buddhist usage, it means “to attain enlightenment and reach the state of Buddhahood,”
but in modern Japan the word is often used with a slightly different nuance.

According to one widely known belief, when a person dies, their soul begins a journey toward the world of the dead.
Along the way, they undergo seven trials, held once every seven days, and after the seventh judgment,their final destination—heaven, hell, and so on—is determined.
The details vary by tradition, but this is one of the best-known views of the afterlife in Japan.

That said, people do not say “Please jōbutsu” at a funeral.
Most assume that once someone dies, they naturally move on to the next world.
For that reason, “jōbutsu” is not a word commonly used in daily life outside religious contexts.

In fiction, however, the nuance shifts.
Ghosts are portrayed as beings who remain in this world after death, held back by some form of regret—resentment, attachment, unfinished business.
When that regret is finally resolved and they depart from this world at last, that moment is called jōbutsu.

In other words, in its commonly used sense, the Japanese word “jōbutsu” has two meanings:
(1) the soul’s destination in the afterlife is decided, and
(2) a ghost releases its regrets and leaves this world.
For many people, it may simply feel natural to assume that once a soul departs, it will eventually arrive at a peaceful place.

Now then—how do the ghosts in my stories perceive jōbutsu?
If they moved on immediately after death, they would have had no chance to think about it at all.
But for a ghost who has stayed here, grown accustomed to this world, and built a life within it—
jōbutsu might feel like nothing less than a “second death.”

They must let go of all the time and memories they gained hereand walk alone into an unknown world.
If heaven awaited them, it might offer comfort; but in truth, seven trials lie ahead, and no one knows what verdict will be passed.
If jōbutsu is equivalent to “death” from the perspective of the living, then a ghost will face that moment regardless of their own will.
Unconsciously, they may feel satisfied after accomplishing something, or give up after realizing that something cannot be done—and such shifts of the heart may be what lead them toward jōbutsu.

As for the destinations themselves—heaven and hell—it is interesting that in Japan, hell is the one more finely subdivided.
One of my favorite works, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness, features a Japanese oni who works in hell as its protagonist and humorously depicts the daily workings of the underworld.
There are violent scenes, of course, but since the setting is hell, I hope you’ll view it with generous understanding.

Since I have been talking about jōbutsu and hell, let me introduce one more title: Dark Gathering.
It is a story in which the protagonist gathers evil spirits in order to defeat a powerful foe, and among these spirits is one called High Priest of the Evil Sutra.
His ability is formidable: by chanting sutras, he can force both the living and the dead to undergo jōbutsu—sending them straight to hell.
It ignores all the proper steps, but if hell is determined as the final destination,then in one sense it certainly is jōbutsu.
…Though I cannot say I accept it.

When I first saw this character, the sheer unfairness of “being sent to hell simply by hearing a sutra” honestly sent chills through me.
Naturally, even the protagonist will be made to pass on if he hears it.
And this High Priest is openly rebellious—constantly watching for an opening to take the protagonist’s life and free himself.
Religious practitioners may find him questionable, but since he is an evil spirit in a work of fiction, I hope you’ll forgive him.

In the English version of my own work, the moment a ghost departs was translated as “She moved on.”
In English, “move on” is a soft expression meaning “to go forward” or “to pass on,”
but it lacks the religious weight and finality carried by the Japanese word “jōbutsu.”

If this note helps convey even a little of the original nuance, I would be glad.
I hope we can meet again next time.