There were a slew of Hollywood remakes of Japanese horror films that featured a similar ghost archetype. The most notable examples are (warning, links are images of examples) The Ring and The Grudge.
The common traits are:
- White dress
- Long black hair that mostly covers her face
- A small girl
- Stilted movements
- Usually has really dirty clothes, hair and skin
- Usually out for revenge of some kind
Is there a term for this type of character that is more specific than "ghost"? When I think of "ghosts" in American culture I don't think of these girls.
Best Answer
They are called onryō.
Tvtropes describes as Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl and also mentions onryo: