Uncanny Japan logo

Category: Japanese Folklore 

Granny Dumping Mountain (Ubasuteyama) (Ep. 17)

Back in old Japan when times were tough and there were too many mouths for one family to feed, they might do something called kuchi herashi, or getting rid of mouths by sending your children to live with a wealthier family or hauling grandma or grandpa up into the mountains and leave them to fend for themselves.
ubasuteyama

Monkeys and Monkey Lore! (Ep. 4)

All about monkeys and monkey lore⁠—wordplay, superstition, and good luck charms.
ukioe monkey
1 4 5 6

About The Uncanny Japan Podcast

Speculative 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.

© Copyright 2025 Uncanny Productions
Buy Me a Coffee at Ko-Fi