goryō

thumb| by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi depicting [[Sugawara no Michizane as the . After Sugawara no Michizane's death, lightning struck the palace, killing and injuring many of the powerful people involved in his banishment, and Sugawara no Michizane was enshrined in the (Shinto shrines) as the Tenjin.]] In a broad sense, is an honorific for a spirit, especially one that causes hauntings, and the term is used as a synonym for . In a narrower sense, it refers to a noble or accomplished person who lost a political power struggle or died prematurely from an epidemic or other disease, becoming an that brings pestilence or famine and is later enshrined as a in Shinto shrines. For example, the "Sandai Jitsuroku" (a historical Japanese document) mentions that six Shinto shrines were dedicated to the worship of , which were the spirits of those who died from non-natural causes. Later on, two more shrines were added, bringing the total to eight.

refers to the belief that the of people who have died unfortunate deaths cause hauntings and disasters, and the belief that they are enshrined as to appease them.