Oijō

Oijō [甥徐 おいじょう, also spelled 管徐] are supernatural entities and spirits in Kantonese folklore. The word oijō is the standard term; hundreds of colloquial and dialectal words also exist. Oijō can, depending on region, also be referred to as oisha, manegai, kogosha, mōi, hyōzumi, and taisha, to name a few. Despite often being translated as such, oijō are not literal demons in the Western sense of the word, but rather a generalised manifestation of the forces of evil. Their behaviour can range from malevolent and bloodthirsty to mischievous and playful.
Oijō can have animal features (such as the akiri, depicted as a cat, and the sanukami, demonic monkey spirits) but more often are either humanoid in appearance or take the form of unassuming inanimate objects (e.g. the miuki ime or the kyurikama). Even more frequently oijō are described as being bodiless spirits which can possess and influence humans. A famous example would be the koppushi 'spirit of misery', a metaphor for depression. Many oijō are described as spreaders of evil and misfortune; these are known as yamegami, spirits of pestilence.