Uncanny Japan
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Recent Episodes
The Ghost-Playing Actor Who Became a REAL Vengeful Ghost: Kohada Koheiji (Ep. 191)
Not all Japanese revenge ghosts are wronged women. Meet Kohada Koheiji: a failed Edo-period actor who became famous for playing ghosts, only to be murdered, drowned, and returned as the very thing he…
All That Flows: Benzaiten, White Snakes, and Human-Headed Serpents
In this episode of Uncanny Japan, we follow Benzaiten — also known as Benten — from her origins as Saraswati to her place among Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. Along the way: Enoshima’s five-headed dragon,…
S10E189 Everyone Has a Throat Buddha / What is it and Why? -- Nodohotoke & Story Time: "The Buddha Bone" (Ep. 189)
Have you ever heard of the nodo-hotoke, or “throat Buddha”? In everyday Japanese, it usually refers to the Adam’s apple. But after death, especially in the context of cremation, the nodo-hotoke…
Ofuda & Omamori: Lucky Talismans & Charms
After exploring animal spirit possession last episode, Thersa turns to the Japanese ways of staying safe, getting a little lucky, and maybe even finding love through ofuda and omamori, talismans and…
Tsukimono: Possessed by an Animal (Ep. 187)
What is tsukimono? In Japanese culture, it’s the unsettling idea of possession—when a human or animal spirit attaches itself to you and usually does harm. In this episode of Uncanny Japan, I explore…
S10E186 Takiyasha Hime & the Gashadokuro: Japan's Frog-Riding Witch & Giant Skeleton (Ep. 186)
A vengeful princess rides a giant toad into battle while a monstrous skeleton tears through castle walls — and these two legends are connected in ways you might not expect. In this episode, I dig…
S10E185 Why the Year of the Fire Horse is Dreaded in Japan and Cursed Kimonos (Ep. 185)
2026 is the year of the fire horse—a year that happens only once every 60 years. Across East Asia, it symbolizes transformation, intensity, and bold action. But in Japan? It's feared. Birth rates…
S9E184 Osechi: Japanese New Year Food Traditions (Ep. 184)
What if the meal sitting in those beautiful lacquered boxes held messages from the gods? In Japan, osechi-ryōri isn't just New Year's food—it's a sacred offering. Each dish carries specific wishes:…
S9E183 Japanese Moon Lore: Selfless Rabbits, Murdered Goddesses, and Tsukimi (Ep. 183)
Don't point at the moon—you might wake up without your ears. In Japan, the moon rabbit isn't just making mochi. Its image was placed there by the gods to honor an act of pure sacrifice, a Buddhist…
S9E182 Hōichi the Earless: A Lafcadio Hearn Reading (Ep. 182)
A blind musician is summoned to perform in the darkness. But who is listening? And what terrible price awaits a moment's oversight? Today I read to you one of Lafcadio Hearn's most famous Japanese…
S9E181 What Empty Spaces Need (Audio Drama) (Ep. 181)
🎃 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 🎃 This year's Halloween episode is a full-length audio drama based on the urban legend of Sukima-onna—the woman who watches from the gaps. An American English teacher in Japan…
S9E180 Ame-onna - Rain Woman's Original Ghost Story (Ep. 180)
We're getting closer to Halloween. How about another ghost story? Ame-onna, the rain woman - a haggard looking thing, soaked to the bone, wandering rainy nights. There's lore about her, rumors,…
S9E179 Japan's Most Famous Ghost: My Retelling of Oiwa and the Yotsuya Kaidan (Ep. 179)
It's October. Time to pull a blanket around your shoulders, light a candle against the dark, and listen to a good old-fashioned ghost story. There are many versions of the tragic tale of Japan's most…
S9E178 Sanshi: The Three Body-Parasite Problem (Ep. 178)
I finally got to go on a walk again after all the oppressive August heat. I live around rice fields, mostly. There are some houses, of course, along the main road, and then every so often, a…
S9E177 A Handful of Deadly Beach Beauties (Ep. 177)
Japan's summer heat is inescapable, driving people to seek relief at the beach. But what if I told you there are supernatural dangers lurking along Japan's 14,125 islands that make rip currents seem…
Introducing Uncanny Japan
Uncanny Japan is a podcast about all the more obscure corners of old Japan, from strange superstitions, cultural curiosities, to creepy creatures. Here you can discover all the lesser known gems that…
S9E176 Japanese Afterlife Guide: Navigate Buddhist Hell & Death (Ep. 176)
So, you've died in Japan. Let me help you navigate the underworld and if we can, avoid the nastiest hells. What does Japanese Buddhism suggest happens after death? I found these traditional afterlife…
S9E175 Taira no Masakado: The First Samurai's Flying Head & Tokyo's Cursed Shrine (Ep. 175)
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night wondering who Japan's first samurai was? And then maybe wondering if severed heads can actually fly? Well, that's exactly what I want to talk to you…
S9E174 Saiō ga Uma: The Old Man's Horse & Finding Peace with Uncertainty (Ep. 174)
It's very strange, but this ancient Japanese proverb "Saiō ga Uma" has been popping up in my thoughts a lot lately. I kept hearing it mentioned, so I thought I'd share what I discovered. "Saiō ga…
S9E173 Susanoo: Japan's Storm God - Chaos to Redemption (Ep. 173)
Ever wonder what happens when a Japanese god has serious anger management issues? This is the second episode in my Myth Tales series, and I want to share what I discovered about Susanoo, the storm…
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Uncanny Japan has published 194 episodes since October 2016, covering topics in Arts, Books.
Uncanny Japan is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 20m.
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