Uncanny Japan logo

Category: Yokai 

Setsubun: The Devils are Coming! (Ep. 29)

The devils are coming! February 3rd is Setsubun in Japan and it's not just the day before spring, it's also the day that oni prowl the streets and children must pelt them roasted soybeans to insure good luck for the coming year.
setsubun oni beans

Kuchisake-Onna: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (Ep. 23)

Here are two urban myths that have always intrigued me: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (kuchisake onna) and The White Thread That Comes from Your Ear (mimi kara shiroi ito).

#Uncannytober: Oct 2

kuchisake onna

Ship Goddesses, Boat Ghosts, and Sea Monks (Funadama, Funa Yurei, Umi Bozu) (Ep. 20)

The third Monday of July is Umi no Hi (Marine Day), so this month I decided to talk about three otherworldly ocean creatures: Ship Goddesses, Boat Ghosts, and Sea Monks.

#Uncannytober: Oct 1

funa yuurei
1 2 3 4

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 2023 Uncanny Productions
Buy Me a Coffee at Ko-Fi