Latest Japanesemyths Podcast Episodes
Haunted Artifacts (Tsukumogami) (Ep. 44)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - December 24, 2019 03:53 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIn Japan when an inanimate object reaches its 100th birthday and perhaps it was mistreated, or lost, or thrown away, it gains a soul and might possibly start playing tricks on people. This is called tsukumogami, or haunted artifacts. In this episode I talk about the tsukumogami and some traditio...
Episode 43: The Great Horned Master (Tsuno Daishi)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - November 14, 2019 05:02 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsWhen walking around Japan you might see a small rectangular piece of paper pasted near a front door or on a gate. On this paper is an image that can only be described as a demon or devil. While off-putting at first, this creepy little fellow isn't actually a bad guy; he's there to protect the fa...
The Great Horned Master (Tsuno Daishi) (Ep. 43)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - November 14, 2019 05:02 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsWhen walking around Japan you might see a small rectangular piece of paper pasted near a front door or on a gate. On this paper is an image that can only be described as a demon or devil. While off-putting at first, this creepy little fellow isn't actually a bad guy; he's there to protect the fa...
Story Time: Yotsuya Kaidan (The Ghost of Oiwa) (Ep. 42)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 25, 2019 22:54 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIt's almost Halloween, so for this episode of Uncanny Japan I'm going to tell you a spooky tale called Yotsuya Kaidan, the story of Oiwa and her sad and vengeful ghost. The last ghost story I told here was in episode 25, Okiku and the Nine Plates (Bancho Sarayashiki). Well, Yotsuya Kaidan's main...
Story Time - Yotsuya Kaidan (The Ghost of Oiwa) (Ep. 42)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 25, 2019 22:54 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIt's almost Halloween, so for this episode of Uncanny Japan I'm going to tell you a spooky tale called Yotsuya Kaidan, the story of Oiwa and her sad and vengeful ghost. The last ghost story I told here was in episode 25, Okiku and the Nine Plates (Bancho Sarayashiki). Well, Yotsuya Kaidan's main...
Episode 42: Story Time - Yotsuya Kaidan (The Ghost of Oiwa)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 25, 2019 22:54 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIt's almost Halloween, so for this episode of Uncanny Japan I'm going to tell you a spooky tale called Yotsuya Kaidan, the story of Oiwa and her sad and vengeful ghost. The last ghost story I told here was in episode 25, Okiku and the Nine Plates (Bancho Sarayashiki). Well, Yotsuya Kaidan's main...
Episode 41: Japanese Superstitions II: Spider Lilies and Ghostly Trees
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 10, 2019 02:03 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratings(Transcript below) Why is the beautiful Spider lily also called a corpse flower? Why didn't samurai keep camellias in their gardens? Why do Japanese ghosts like to hang out under weeping willows? On this episode of Uncanny Japan I'll take on a few more Japanese superstitions, but this time p...
Japanese Superstitions II: Spider Lilies and Ghostly Trees (Ep. 41)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - October 10, 2019 02:03 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsWhy is the beautiful Spider lily also called a corpse flower? Why didn't samurai keep camellias in their gardens? Why do Japanese ghosts like to hang out under weeping willows? On this episode I'll take on a few more Japanese superstitions, but this time plant and flower-related stories. Vis...
Daruma - He Cut Off His What?! (Ep. 40)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - September 12, 2019 04:51 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsHis eyelids. He cut off his eyelids. But that is not all that the Daruma (Bodhidharma) is famous for. He's the man who brought Chan to China and Zen to Japan. Some say he taught the Shaolin monks how to fight while other tales talk about how he invented green tea, or well, his eyelids did. Joi...
Episode 40: Daruma - He Cut Off His What?!
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - September 12, 2019 04:51 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsHis eyelids. He cut off his eyelids. But that is not all that the Daruma (Bodhidharma) is famous for. He's the man who brought Chan to China and Zen to Japan. Some say he taught the Shaolin monks how to fight while other tales talk about how he invented green tea, or well, his eyelids did. Joi...
Behind the Curtain: Advice for people coming to Japan (Ep. 39)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 22, 2019 02:13 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsEpisode 39 of Uncanny Japan is different, it's special. Today I forgo my usual format and invite my friend, fellow long time expat, and Sound Dude, Rich Pav, to join me in answering some listener questions about advice when coming to Japan. Here we talk about just a few things we've gleaned from...
Episode 39: Behind the Curtain: Advice for people coming to Japan
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 22, 2019 02:13 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsEpisode 39 of Uncanny Japan is different, it's special. Today I forgo my usual format and invite my friend, fellow long time expat, and Sound Dude, Rich Pav, to join me in answering some listener questions about advice when coming to Japan. Here we talk about just a few things we've gleaned from...
Episode 38: Story Time - Cicada (Lafcadio Hearn)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 08, 2019 02:15 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIn Episode 38, you can listen to Lafcadio Hearn's whimsical take on the cicada (semi) while enjoying some real time cicada singing in the background. A lot of the poems didn't make it into the podcast. Here are a few: "A very large number of Japanese poems about sémi describe the noise of the...
Story Time: Cicada (Lafcadio Hearn) (Ep. 38)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 08, 2019 02:15 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIn Episode 38, you can listen to Lafcadio Hearn's whimsical take on the cicada (semi) while enjoying some real time cicada singing in the background. A lot of the poems didn't make it into the podcast. Here are a few: "A very large number of Japanese poems about sémi describe the noise of the...
Story Time - Cicada (Lafcadio Hearn) (Ep. 38)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 08, 2019 02:15 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIn Episode 38, you can listen to Lafcadio Hearn's whimsical take on the cicada (semi) while enjoying some real time cicada singing in the background. A lot of the poems didn't make it into the podcast. Here are a few: "A very large number of Japanese poems about sémi describe the noise of the...
Story Time: Cicada by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 38)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - August 08, 2019 02:15 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsIn Episode 38, you can listen to Lafcadio Hearn's whimsical take on the cicada (semi) while enjoying some real time cicada singing in the background. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and transcript. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Ro...
Oni Kara Denwa: The Ogre App to Discipline Your Child (Ep. 37)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - July 21, 2019 04:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsEver since I saw a mother discipline her child by threatening to call an oni/ogre, I've been wanting to do talk about this. Then I found out it really is a thing, an app called Oni Kara Denwa (A Call From an Oni, or as it's translated in Japanese: Ghost Call) to be more precise. In Episode 37,...
Episode 37: The Ogre App to Discipline Your Child (Oni Kara Denwa)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - July 21, 2019 04:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratings(Transcript below) Ever since I saw a mother discipline her child by threatening to call an oni/ogre, I’ve been wanting to do talk about this. Then I found out it really is a thing, an app called Oni Kara Denwa (A Call From an Oni, or as it’s translated in Japanese: Ghost Call) to be more prec...
The Ogre App to Discipline Your Child (Oni Kara Denwa) (Ep. 37)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - July 21, 2019 04:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratings(Transcript below) Ever since I saw a mother discipline her child by threatening to call an oni/ogre, I’ve been wanting to do talk about this. Then I found out it really is a thing, an app called Oni Kara Denwa (A Call From an Oni, or as it’s translated in Japanese: Ghost Call) to be more prec...
The Rock That Cries at Night (Yonaki Ishi) (Ep. 36)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - June 27, 2019 02:00 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA rock that gets weepy when the sun goes down, a pregnant woman slain alone in the mountains, a newborn baby visited by a ghostly priest who feds him candy to stay alive. These are all parts of this month's podcast: The Rock The Cries at Night (Yonaki Ishi). In this episode, I visit a local spot...
Episode 36: The Rock That Cries at Night (Yonaki Ishi)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - June 27, 2019 02:00 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA rock that gets weepy when the sun goes down, a pregnant woman slain alone in the mountains, a newborn baby visited by a ghostly priest who feds him candy to stay alive. These are all parts of this month's podcast: The Rock The Cries at Night (Yonaki Ishi). In this episode, I visit a local spot...
Episode 35: Seven Mysterious Things (Nanafushigi)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 27, 2019 06:31 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA giant hairy foot crashing through the roof of a old house and demanding to be washed. A festive tanuki band that appears in the dead of night and lures you into parts unknown. These are just two of the Honjo Nanafushigi. Nanafushigi can be translated as seven wonders, but they're more like sev...
Seven Mysterious Things (Nanafushigi) (Ep. 35)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 27, 2019 06:31 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA giant hairy foot crashing through the roof of a old house and demanding to be washed. A festive tanuki band that appears in the dead of night and lures you into parts unknown. These are just two of the Honjo Nanafushigi. Nanafushigi can be translated as seven wonders, but they're more like sev...
Nanafushigi: Seven Mysterious Things (Ep. 35)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 27, 2019 06:31 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA giant hairy foot crashing through the roof of an old house and demanding to be washed. A festive tanuki band that appears in the dead of night and lures you into parts unknown. These are just two of the Honjo Nanafushigi. Nanafushigi can be translated as seven wonders, but they're more like se...
Episode 34: Hidden by the Gods (Kamikakushi)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 06, 2019 07:30 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratings(Transcript below) Today’s show feels like a wacky and wonderful one. You see, I started talking about the tengu in Episode 32 (Heavenly Dogs and Brilliant Swordsmen), but I wasn’t able to cover one of my favorite things about this red faced, long nosed, mountain warrior. That being the notio...
Hidden by the Gods (Kamikakushi) (Ep. 34)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - May 06, 2019 07:30 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsToday's show feels like a wacky and wonderful one. You see, I started talking about the tengu in Episode 32 (Heavenly Dogs and Brilliant Swordsmen), but I wasn't able to cover one of my favorite things about this red faced, long nosed, mountain warrior. That being the notion of kamikakushi (神隠し)...
Story Time: Hoichi The Earless by Lafcadio Hearn (Mimi-nashi Hoichi) (Ep. 33)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 15, 2019 05:07 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsAfter coming to live in Japan (1890), Lafcadio Hearn listened intently to the folk stories and ghostly tales that were related to him. He then wrote them down in English, adding his own unique style and began publishing books of his gathered observances and retellings. Glimpses of Unfamiliar Jap...
Episode 33: Story Time - The Story of Mimi-Nashi Hoichi (Lafcadio Hearn)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 15, 2019 05:07 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratings(Transcript below) After coming to live in Japan (1890), Lafcadio Hearn listened intently to the folk stories and ghostly tales that were related to him. He then wrote them down in English, adding his own unique style and began publishing books of his gathered observances and retellings. Glimp...
Story Time: The Story of Mimi-Nashi Hoichi (Lafcadio Hearn) (Ep. 33)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 15, 2019 05:07 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsAfter coming to live in Japan (1890), Lafcadio Hearn listened intently to the folk stories and ghostly tales that were related to him. He then wrote them down in English, adding his own unique style and began publishing books of his gathered observances and retellings. Glimpses of Unfamiliar Jap...
Episode 33: Story Time: The Story of Mimi-Nashi Hoichi (Lafcadio Hearn)
Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language - April 15, 2019 05:07 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsAfter coming to live in Japan (1890), Lafcadio Hearn listened intently to the folk stories and ghostly tales that were related to him. He then wrote them down in English, adding his own unique style and began publishing books of his gathered observances and retellings. Glimpses of Unfamiliar Jap...
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