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Category: Yokai 

Supernatural Trees Part 1: Bloodthirsty and Cursed (Ep. 156)

Japanese folklore features various tree spirits, like Kodama protectors and Jubokko bloodsuckers, with camellias shifting from auspicious to ominous.

Moshi Moshi! You’re About to Meet Some Demons! (Ep. 154)

Two fascinating phrases in Japanese that have very creepy origins. What are you really doing when you answer the phone "moshi moshi" anyway?
A person with glowing eyes and horns, wearing a dark outfit, stands on a quiet street with old buildings and dim lights at dusk.

Hokkaido Yōkai and Mythical Creatures (Ep. 152)

The northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido, also has its own brand of yōkai and mythical creatures. Here I talk about seven of them.
A person is painting a whimsical scene with a brush on a sheet of paper. The illustration includes a shark, tentacles, and a character standing on a rock.

The Dangerous Truth about the Jorō Spider (Ep. 150)

The joro spider, a colorful arachnid from Japan, is harmless but tied to folklore about shape-shifting brides who fatally ensnare lovers at waterfalls.
Women in kimono shooting webs from her six spider arms. Baby spiders attached!

Beto Beto-san Vs Teke Teke: Things That Stalk You at Night (Ep. 149)

If you're ever walking alone on an empty street or path at night and you hear something distinctly not human following you, could it be the Beto Beto-san or the Teke Teke? One will take your life in the most horrendous way.
A watercolor illustration of a staircase in a forest with trees on both sides. A whimsical character with a large round head, big smiling mouth, and human-like legs is depicted climbing the stairs. The character is wearing traditional wooden sandals. Two hands are visible in the foreground, one holding a paintbrush and the other a paper towel. Japanese characters are written on the right side of the painting.

Bug News: Body Parasites or Ghosts (Mushi no Shirase)? (Ep. 148)

Have you ever had a premonition or a foreboding feeling that turned out to be true? Was it a parasitic insect living in your belly or a ghost trying to tell you something?
Illustration of a traditional East Asian scholar holding a scroll, flanked by mythical creatures in a forest setting.

Falling Trees: Tengu or Furusoma (Creepy Dead Guy)?(Ep. 147)

If a you hear a tree fall in the woods, but can't find any sign of that fallen tree, is it the work of a tengu, a creepy dead guy ghost, or something else?
A furusoma, dead woodcutter, with tengu looking on

Nami-Kozō: The Creepy Little Wave Boy (Ep. 142)

A nanafushigi (seven mysterious things) and a local yokai, the Nami Kozō or Wave Boy has a number of variations to his story, some involving real historical monks.
Sketch of a Nami Kozo with waves, artist's hand drawing.

Raijū: The Thunder Beast (Ep. 128)

The raijū or thunder beast is smallish, very weird-looking creature that darts around during thunderstorms and wreaks havoc on the community. Here's what you need to know about it.
Old image of clawed, fanged tick looking beast
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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.

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