It may not have existed in ancient mythology, but around the 18th or 19th century, Japanese folklore got its very own Grim Reaper. Known as Shinigami (meaning “death god” or “sky weapon”) these supernatural spirits invite humans towards death.

We know what you’re thinking – why would you ever take Shinigami up on that invitation? However, in Japanese culture, dying is less of a tragic fate – it’s simply something that just is. Plus, the Japanese traditionally believe in the existence of the soul, and that death is just the moment where the soul departs.

In that sense, Shinigami aren’t bringers of doom – they’re more like intermediaries in the grand cosmic bureaucracy whose job is merely to take souls from one life to the next.