Latest Japanesemyths Podcast Episodes
Good Luck Superstitions in Japan (Ep. 91)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - December 30, 2021 00:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIt'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 ...
Mayoiga: The Mysterious House You Find When You’re Lost (Ep. 90)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - December 17, 2021 01:09 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA 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...
Sakuragaike: A Tortured Snake-Dragon Loses it Scales, Pt 2 (Ep. 89)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - December 02, 2021 00:30 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsToday 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 tr...
Sakuragaike: A Snake-Dragon Coiled and Waiting, Part 1 (Ep. 88)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - November 16, 2021 23:30 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsThe 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 webs...
Halloween Episode: Kokkuri Spirit Boards and WTF?! (Ep. 87)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 28, 2021 23:33 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsKokkuri 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 t...
Scary Story Time: "Go-Away Monkey" (Ep. 86)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 18, 2021 00:00 - 55 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsFor 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 ...
The Most Merciless Yokai: the Korori (Ep.85)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - September 29, 2021 23:30 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsThe 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...
Misemono: Edo Era Freak Shows (Ep. 84)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - September 15, 2021 00:08 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA 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 aut...
Ningyo: The Ugly (and Delicious!) Japanese Mermaid (Ep. 83)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 30, 2021 22:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA 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 a...
Obon Story Time: "At Yaidzu" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 82)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 15, 2021 13:07 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIt'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...
Hitobashira: The Tragic Stories of Human Pillars (Ep. 81)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - July 30, 2021 12:33 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsHow 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,...
The Adorably Creepy Tofu Kozo (Ep. 80)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - July 15, 2021 08:15 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsThe 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 Unca...
Mushi Okuri: Sending Off the Bugs (Ep. 79)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - June 29, 2021 22:52 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsLet'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 a...
Utsuro-Bune: The Hollow (Space?) Ship (Ep. 78)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - June 15, 2021 22:44 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsWe'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...
Story Time – "Kaguya Hime: The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Princess" (Ep. 77)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - June 01, 2021 10:29 - 41 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsToday 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. Unca...
Fuujin & Raijin: The Gods of Thunder and Wind (Ep. 76)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 16, 2021 09:30 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsWho 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 a...
Story Time: The Kappa's Abyss (Ep. 75)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 02, 2021 08:20 - 27 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsToday'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...
Jigoku Tayuu: The Mysterious Hell Courtesan (Ep. 74)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 15, 2021 13:18 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsThe 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. Vi...
Rated G Tanuki Buttons: This Unbelievable Story Will Blow Your Mind! (Ep. 73.5)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 04, 2021 22:51 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsHere 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 ep...
Tanuki Buttons: This Unbelievable Story Will Blow Your Mind! (Ep. 73)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 01, 2021 14:56 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsHere 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 ep...
PG-13 Tanuki Buttons: This Unbelievable Story Will Blow Your Mind! (Ep. 73)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 01, 2021 14:56 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsHere 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 ep...
Adorable Tanuki: Fluffy, Shape-Shifting, and Lucky! (Ep. 72)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - March 15, 2021 09:30 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsTanuki 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 one...
Kan no Mushi: Adorable Parasites Living Inside Your Spine (Ep. 71)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - February 28, 2021 23:34 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsLet 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...
Sanzaru: Three Wise Monkeys and How They Can Help Extend Your Life (Ep. 70)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - February 15, 2021 11:26 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsEveryone 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 worm...
Cursed Swords That Want to Murder You (Youtou) (Ep. 69)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - February 01, 2021 04:31 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA 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...
Enjoying the Luck of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) (Ep. 68)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - January 14, 2021 22:55 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIn 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 ...
Year of the Ox: Save Us All (Ep. 67)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - December 30, 2020 23:33 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsThe 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...
Toshikoshi Soba: Breaking Off the Pain of 2020 with Noodles (Ep. 66)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - December 16, 2020 09:04 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsToshikoshi 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...
Baku: The Eater of Dreams (Ep. 65)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - November 29, 2020 23:34 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsThe 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 Sooth...
Story Time: "The Dream of Akinosuke" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 64)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - November 16, 2020 03:44 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratings"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...
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