Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language
225 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsSpeculative fiction writer, long-term resident of Japan and Bram Stoker Award finalist Thersa Matsuura explores all that is weird from old Japan—strange superstitions, folktales, cultural oddities, and interesting language quirks. These are little treasures she digs up while doing research for her writing.
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Episodes
The Killing Stone: Sessho Seki (Ep. 96)
March 15, 2022 00:00 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBIt was all over the news: Japan's Infamous Killing Stone that was housing a chaotic, disaster inducing nine-tailed fox spirit, broke in half on March 5th, 2022. Is the fox spirit free? I'll tell you all about it on this episode. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, ...
The Human-Faced Tumor: Jinmensou (Ep.95)
February 28, 2022 00:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBOn today's episode I'm going to tell you about an affliction that involved a strange growth on some part of your body that had the face of a human and did horrible things. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! ...
Introducing the Uncanny Robot Podcast
February 18, 2022 00:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBAs a bonus for Uncanny Japan listeners, we would like to share a preview of our brand-new show, "Uncanny Robot Podcast." Yes, more Uncanny goodness! Wonderfully wild AI-created stories read by humans (that would be Thersa and Richard) with a little commentary thrown in, too. Thank you so much for subscribing and listening to Uncanny Japan. We really hope you like the new podcast as well. https://www.uncannyrobotpodcast.com/
Story Time: Tango no Hitobashira / The Human Pillar of Tango (Ep. 94)
February 16, 2022 00:00 - 22 minutes - 21.2 MBThe Human Pillar of Tango. This is a retelling of an old folktale that I've never seen translated into English. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://w...
The Ferocious Oni (Ep. 93)
January 30, 2022 01:41 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBJapanese oni are a very deep and varied subject. Learn about these mountain-dwelling ogres and what they do. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www....
Chindon-ya: Eccentric Street Musicians (Ep. 92)
January 15, 2022 00:00 - 14 minutes - 14 MBWho are these eccentric street musicians dressed in bright kimono playing drums, bells, clarinet, and saxophone marching down your street? What do they want? Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanf...
Good Luck Superstitions in Japan (Ep. 91)
December 30, 2021 00:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBIt's been a rough couple of years, so today let's talk about some Japanese good luck superstitions. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.c...
Mayoiga: The Mysterious House You Find When You’re Lost (Ep. 90)
December 17, 2021 01:09 - 23 minutes - 22.3 MBA mayoiga is a house that magically appears when you're lost in the forest or mountains. If you venture in, what will you find? What should you do? Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncan...
Sakuragaike: A Tortured Snake-Dragon Loses it Scales, Pt 2 (Ep. 89)
December 02, 2021 00:30 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBToday I'll tell you part 2 of the Sakuragaike Legend (and nanafushigi!) What was waiting at the bottom of the lake? Why was the snake-dragon suffering and how did his old follower help him? Where is Kouen Ajari The Snake-Dragon now? Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd li...
Sakuragaike: A Snake-Dragon Coiled and Waiting, Part 1 (Ep. 88)
November 16, 2021 23:30 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBThe story goes that a large snake-dragon lives at the bottom of Sakuragaike Lake. It's waiting. But where did this snake-dragon come from, and who is it waiting for? I'll tell you about this still obscure myth -- and nanafushigi -- in this episode of Uncanny Japan. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp...
Halloween Episode: Kokkuri Spirit Boards and WTF?! (Ep. 87)
October 28, 2021 23:33 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBKokkuri or Kokkuri-san is the name for the Japanese ouija or spirit board. It's also the name for the spirit who visits during the game. For Halloween, Richard and I decided to try our hand at this super creepy pastime and you'll never believe what happens. Headphones on and buckle up! Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her boo...
Scary Story Time: "Go-Away Monkey" (Ep. 86)
October 18, 2021 00:00 - 55 minutes - 51.3 MBFor the spooky month of October, I'm reading my short horror story, "Go-Away Monkey" from my collection The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales. It's set in an older Japan in a small village that has been ravaged by smallpox. If you remember Episode 4 (Monkeys and Monkey Lore), you'll understand the monkey show coming to town to drive away all the bad luck and disease. But does it work? Written a full five years before the pandemic, it feels quite prescient to me. What do you think? Visit the...
The Most Merciless Yokai: the Korori (Ep.85)
September 29, 2021 23:30 - 13 minutes - 13.5 MBThe obscure and terrifyingly deadly yokai, the korori, ravaged Edo Japan. On today's episode I'll tell you all about it, what it really was and how foreigners were the ones who brought it to Japan. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and ...
Misemono: Edo Era Freak Shows (Ep. 84)
September 15, 2021 00:08 - 17 minutes - 16.7 MBA misemono is like a carnival, museum, zoo, and freak show all rolled into one. Here you could see exotic animals, buy cure-all medicines, and check out mermaid mummies among many, many other thrills. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast a...
Ningyo: The Ugly (and Delicious!) Japanese Mermaid (Ep. 83)
August 30, 2021 22:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBA Japanese mermaid is called a ningyo (人魚) or human fish. Today I'll tell you about their history, the good, the bad, and the delicious! Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreo...
Obon Story Time: "At Yaidzu" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 82)
August 15, 2021 13:07 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBIt's Obon and today I want to read to you an essay by Lafcadio Hearn. He wrote it about the town he would stay at during summers, the town I've lived in for 25 plus years. Here he talks not just about the lantern floating ceremony, but also the ocean and ghost and gods and how we humans fit into it all. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast....
Hitobashira: The Tragic Stories of Human Pillars (Ep. 81)
July 30, 2021 12:33 - 18 minutes - 17.9 MBHow do you build a bridge that stands up to storms and floods? Well, you have to appease the nature gods, of course. But how do you do that? Human sacrifice seemed to have worked in the past. Today I'll talk about hitobashira or human pillars. An ancient tradition of insuring strong river banks, fireproof castles, and tunnels that won't collapse. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Rob...
The Adorably Creepy Tofu Kozo (Ep. 80)
July 15, 2021 08:15 - 9 minutes - 9.69 MBThe Tofu Kozo is a seemingly innocent little yokai who appears on rainy days offering a plate of tofu to unsuspecting people. What could possibly go wrong? Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, ...
Mushi Okuri: Sending Off the Bugs (Ep. 79)
June 29, 2021 22:52 - 11 minutes - 11.3 MBLet's say you have a plague of insects, like millions of cicada awakening after a years-long slumber. Or worse, bugs that would rather devour your crops. And let's say this is happening 200 years ago so you don't have your pesticides or DDT to wipe them out. What do you do? Why you have an absolutely delightful festival, with dances, and Buddhist or Shinto prayers, and taiko drumming, flute fluting. It's called mushi okuri, (虫送り) or sending off the insects. Visit the Uncanny Japan webs...
Utsuro-Bune: The Hollow (Space?) Ship (Ep. 78)
June 15, 2021 22:44 - 10 minutes - 10 MBWe're being visited by UAPs, Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon. Or you might be more familiar with their older name: UFOs. There is a lot of interesting news coming out these days. You've probably seen it. Well, guess what, they've been coming for quite awhile and I have proof. Today let's talk about the utsuro-bune (虚舟) or utsuro-fune, the legend of the hollow ship. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other...
Story Time – "Kaguya Hime: The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Princess" (Ep. 77)
June 01, 2021 10:29 - 41 minutes - 39.2 MBToday I'll read to you, "The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Princess" called Kaguya Hime in Japanese. It's an old tale that some believe talks about otherworldly visitors. Was the Moon Princess an extraterrestrial being? Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help suppo...
Fuujin & Raijin: The Gods of Thunder and Wind (Ep. 76)
May 16, 2021 09:30 - 12 minutes - 12.4 MBWho are Fujin and Raijin (the Japanese Wind God and Thunder God), where did they come from, and what do they do? Today I'll tell you about their origins in India and a Japanese Goddesses' decaying body. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast...
Story Time: The Kappa's Abyss (Ep. 75)
May 02, 2021 08:20 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MBToday's Story Time is one I found in an old collection of Japanese folklore. It's about a couple of conniving kappa and an innocent young girl. It's called "The Kappa's Abyss." Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story ...
Jigoku Tayuu: The Mysterious Hell Courtesan (Ep. 74)
April 15, 2021 13:18 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBThe Hell Courtesan (Jigoku Tayuu) is a mysterious figure that appears in art and story in Japan since the 1600s. But who is this beautiful high-ranked oiran who wears a kimono covered in images of hell? In this episode I talk about her legend and relationship with the eccentric monk Ikkyuu. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out he...
Rated G Tanuki Buttons: This Unbelievable Story Will Blow Your Mind! (Ep. 73.5)
April 04, 2021 22:51 - 26 minutes - 25.5 MBHere is it already April first and the cherry blossoms are blooming and spring is in the air. I think today is a good day to tell you a story I've been wanting to share for awhile now. Remember last episode when I talked about the tanuki? Well, keep all that in mind when you listen to today's episode. Things are going to get weird. This version is safe for 8 year olds and grandmothers. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa...
Tanuki Buttons: This Unbelievable Story Will Blow Your Mind! (Ep. 73)
April 01, 2021 14:56 - 26 minutes - 25.4 MBHere is it already April first and the cherry blossoms are blooming and spring is in the air. I think today is a good day to tell you a story I've been wanting to share for awhile now. Remember last episode when I talked about the tanuki? Well, keep all that in mind when you listen to today's episode. Things are going to get weird. Warning: This episode violates the Third Commandment, contains references to male anatomy and has words bleeped out that could infect your soul, curve your spi...
PG-13 Tanuki Buttons: This Unbelievable Story Will Blow Your Mind! (Ep. 73)
April 01, 2021 14:56 - 26 minutes - 25.5 MBHere is it already April first and the cherry blossoms are blooming and spring is in the air. I think today is a good day to tell you a story I've been wanting to share for awhile now. Remember last episode when I talked about the tanuki? Well, keep all that in mind when you listen to today's episode. Things are going to get weird. Warning: This episode violates the Third Commandment, contains references to male anatomy and has uncensored words that could infect your soul, curve your spine...
Adorable Tanuki: Fluffy, Shape-Shifting, and Lucky! (Ep. 72)
March 15, 2021 09:30 - 16 minutes - 16.5 MBTanuki are those adorable, magical animals you find all through Japanese history. They're in folktales, art, legend, and even in modern day manga and anime. In this episode I'll talk about these furry, shape-shifting critters, touching on all the well known facts as well as some more obscure ones. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check...
Kan no Mushi: Adorable Parasites Living Inside Your Spine (Ep. 71)
February 28, 2021 23:34 - 17 minutes - 16.8 MBLet me tell you why your toddler might cry at night and throw tantrums and what you can do to remedy. It could be a mythical parasite that lives in their spine. And you might have them, too. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a ...
Sanzaru: Three Wise Monkeys and How They Can Help Extend Your Life (Ep. 70)
February 15, 2021 11:26 - 18 minutes - 17.9 MBEveryone is familiar with the Three Wise Monkeys or as they're called in Japan Sanzaru (Three Monkeys). But did you know the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Say No Evil creatures are actually a Japanese play on words? They're also an important part of an old folk belief that has to do with three worms escaping your body and a large deity with six arms and a blue face who vows to protect you. Visit the Uncanny Japan website for the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Mats...
Cursed Swords That Want to Murder You (Youtou) (Ep. 69)
February 01, 2021 04:31 - 16 minutes - 16.5 MBA Muramasa blade is one of exceptional quality and great bloodlust. It's called a youtou (妖刀) in Japanese. Depending on how you translate that, it could mean cursed sword, mystic sword, or demon sword. In this episode I talk about one of the most well known youtou made by Muramasa Sengo. Visit the Uncanny Japan website for the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books...
Enjoying the Luck of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) (Ep. 68)
January 14, 2021 22:55 - 14 minutes - 14.7 MBIn Japan the Shichifukujin or Seven Lucky Gods appear in a boat on the first day of the year to impart various kinds of luck on those they deem worthy. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, plea...
Year of the Ox: Save Us All (Ep. 67)
December 30, 2020 23:33 - 12 minutes - 12.8 MBThe year 2021 is the Year of the Ox according to the animal zodiac. But what does that mean? On today's show I'll talk a little about the character of people born in this year, what to expect in 2021, and why the ox -- who should have been the first animal in the zodiac lineup -- got beaten by a rat. I also have a super special announcement. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot ...
Toshikoshi Soba: Breaking Off the Pain of 2020 with Noodles (Ep. 66)
December 16, 2020 09:04 - 18 minutes - 17.6 MBToshikoshi soba is the Japanese tradition of eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve. It's a custom that has continued since the 1700s. There are quite a few reasons why. Some have to do with long life, wealth, and breaking off all the hardships from the previous year. In this episode of Uncanny Japan I'll talk about the history, the different names it goes by, and how you, too, can participate in this delicious tradition. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcri...
Baku: The Eater of Dreams (Ep. 65)
November 29, 2020 23:34 - 12 minutes - 12.5 MBThe baku (獏) is a Japanese mythical creature that, when invited, slips into your room at night to gobble up your nightmares. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Buy Me ...
Story Time: "The Dream of Akinosuke" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 64)
November 16, 2020 03:44 - 21 minutes - 20.7 MB"The Dream of Akinosuke" is Lafcadio Hearn's translation of a sweet Japanese (originally Chinese) folktale. In it you'll learn how insects can manipulate a person's soul. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read t...
Shinrei Supotto: Freaky Haunted Areas in Japan (Ep. 63)
October 31, 2020 23:57 - 21 minutes - 22.9 MBLet's visit some local haunted areas or shinrei supotto in Japanese. The Suicide Forest, a very haunted tunnel, and a Severed Head Grave are all in today's show. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you mon...
Yuurei: Japanese Ghosts from Protective to Wrathful (Ep. 62)
October 15, 2020 00:32 - 22 minutes - 16.7 MBYuurei are Japanese ghosts and they come in quite a few varieties, from the protecting shugorei to the vengeful and very dangerous onryou. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patr...
Oiran: The Glamorous and Wretched Life of a High Courtesan (Ep. 61)
September 30, 2020 23:55 - 15 minutes - 15 MBAn oiran is not a geisha. Although at first glance they may look alike, one is a more reserved entertainer who is still in existence today. The other is a high courtesan, long disappeared, who wore flamboyant brightly-colored kimono and walked on 20 centimeter high geta. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including Th...
Kanreki: Your Auspicious Years, Yakudoushi: Your Calamitous Ones (Ep. 60)
September 15, 2020 09:07 - 16 minutes - 15.8 MBKanreki is the celebration of a 60th birthday. They'll don a red vest, called a chanchanko, a red billowy hat, called an e-boshi and be given a white fan to hold. Yakudoshi are the ages you're believed to be more susceptible to sickness, misfortune or some other disaster. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including T...
Koumare Ishi: Inexplicable Rocks That Predict the Deaths of Monks (Ep. 59)
September 01, 2020 04:07 - 15 minutes - 14.9 MBKoumare Ishi is one of the nanafushigi or seven mysterious occurrences from my area. The belief is that a rock is born from the side of the mountain, and when it falls the head abbot of the nearby temple, Daitoku, dies. It's been going on for hundreds of years, and even today there is a perfectly round stone poking halfway from the mountain. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Po...
Bon Odori: Dancing with the Dead (Ep. 58)
August 17, 2020 02:08 - 20 minutes - 19.4 MBBon Odori or Bon Dancing is a summer tradition held all over Japan. It's a chance for families to get together and have an enjoyable time dancing to the rhythmical music. Seeing as how the Obon season is also when ancestors visit from beyond the grave, they, too, can take part in the festivities if they wish. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Po...
Story Time - The Jellyfish Takes a Journey (plus eel and seppuku!) (Ep. 57)
July 29, 2020 05:15 - 17 minutes - 16.9 MBEver wonder why a jellyfish looks the way they do? Well, the Japanese folktale "The Jellyfish Takes a Journey" (Kurage no Honenashi) tells you how that came about. Then after that folktale, I'll give you a little trivia about the connection between eel and seppuku. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp...
Food Superstitions and Sayings (Ep. 56)
July 17, 2020 06:46 - 22 minutes - 21.3 MBWhy shouldn't you eat crab and watermelon together? What will happen if you don't eat all the rice in your bowl? Today I'll answer these and a whole lot more. Japanese food superstitions and sayings are quite interesting and sometimes funny. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If...
Star-Crossed Lovers (Tanabata) (Ep.55)
June 30, 2020 08:36 - 16 minutes - 15.9 MBTanabata is a Japanese festival based on the bizarre tale of two star-crossed lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi. In episode 55, I'll tell you their story, explain a little about the origins and how it's celebrated today. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help suppo...
Yokai-Related Sayings: Becoming a Tengu (Ep. 54)
June 18, 2020 12:15 - 15 minutes - 15.2 MBYou can also find me on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAtoUS51HDi2d96_aLv95w Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ Intro/Outro by Julyan Ray Matsuura. Here and here. And here. This episode is supported by Sonnet. Summer Ambient Piano by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic...
Yokai-Related Sayings (Becoming a Tengu) (Ep. 54)
June 18, 2020 12:15 - 15 minutes - 15.2 MBWhat if someone told you that you were turning into a tengu, one of those red-faced, long-nosed goblins? What would they mean? In this episode of Uncanny Japan, I talk about a handful of Japanese sayings that are based on youkai. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like ...
Creepy Children's Song (Kagome Kagome) (Ep. 53)
May 29, 2020 01:45 - 16 minutes - 16.3 MBIn Japan "Kagome Kagome" is an old children's game and the song that goes along with it. It's interesting because the mysterious lyrics have several different interpretations and most of them are pretty grim. So listen to episode 53 of Uncanny Japan where I talk about this creepy song and several of the theories behind those odd lyrics. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podca...
Creepy Children's Song - Kagome Kagome (Ep. 53)
May 29, 2020 01:45 - 16 minutes - 16.3 MBIn Japan "Kagome Kagome" is an old children's game and the song that goes along with it. It's interesting because the mysterious lyrics have several different interpretations and most of them are pretty grim. So listen to episode 53 of Uncanny Japan where I talk about this creepy song and several of the theories behind those odd lyrics. You can also find me on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com...
Putting a Curse on Your Enemies (Ushi no Koku Mairi) (Ep. 52)
May 16, 2020 04:06 - 16 minutes - 15.8 MBUshi no Koku Mairi means visiting a shrine at the hour of the ox (between 1:00 and 3:00 am). It also means going there so you can put a curse on your enemy. Deriving from the legend of Hashi Hime (The Bridge Princess) and the Noh play Kanawa (The Iron Crown), this peculiar and frightening way of cursing those who have wronged you is definitely next level. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Un...