Shinigami

The Shinigami are Yokai of death from Japanese myth. They are sometimes seen as spirits of the dead that possess the living and seek to harm them. They typically resemble humans with pale grey skin and inhuman features. They are drawn to death and linger around areas where people have just died. They thrive in areas where particularly gruesome deaths have occurred, as they haunt areas tainted by evil and look for people to possess. They haunt people and alter their behavior causing them to become obsessed with death and their own sins, eventually leading to suicide. They particularly like targeting bad people but will target anyone. Anyone who sees a Shinigami is doomed to a violent death. There is a specific legend from the Kumamoto prefecture that says that if someone attends a vigil with the body present, a Shinigami will follow them home. If they do not leave out a cup of tea or bowl or rice, then the Shinigami will possess them.

Citations:

The Fox’s Wedding: A Compendium Of Japanese Folklore by Matthew Meyer