I know they're cool, but they're not identical or related to ancient Japanese :)
Ainu Concept of the Soul after Death
After death all the spirits first travel to the underworld on the road called anna-macer. Below, they come to a fork of the road, one leading up to heaven, the other to Gehenna. There are watch dogs all along the road, who take care that none will enter the better world secretly:
As soon as the spirit from the "upper world" - that is, our earth - passes down to the centre of Hades, a watch-dog informs it that he has received a message from the Creator, sent through the goddess of fire, as to where it is to go. If it has done good during life it passes along the road to heaven, at the doors of which gods and men meet it and lead it inside. If the spirit belonged to a person who did evil during life, it is informed that, a message having been received concerning its evil deeds, it has now to proceed to Gehenna for punishment.
Should the spirit deny having done any wrong, the goddess of fire is summoned, and she causes a great picture, representing the whole life of the spirit, to be placed before it. Thus the spirit stands self-condemned, and there is no escape, for the fire goddess has a perfect picture of every word and act the spirit ever said or did while in its body upon earth (op. cit.568-570).
The Ainu are thus motivated to be good in this life in order to gain the eternal rewards of heaven; and to avoid evil in order to escape the eternal cold, dark, and wet winter of Gehenna; or, as others say, the eternal fire of Gehenna. The Ainu then have many, many delightful tales and stories which teach goodness and badness, and the way of life of a proper and resourceful Ainu.
Wow! Somehow that sounds familiar!