This browser doesn't support Spotify Web Player. Switch browsers or download Spotify for your desktop.

Uncanny Japan

By Thersa Matsuura

Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura exploring all that is weird from old Japan. Strange superstitions, old wives tales, cultural oddities, and interesting language quirks. These are little treasures dug up while doing research for her writing. Every episode is recorded with binaural mics, so you can experience the ocean, the festivals, and the frog-filled rice fields, too.

  1. 1.
    Musha-burui: Trembling Before a Formidable Task (Ep. 1)10/30/2016
    10:58
  2. 2.
    Hatsu-yume: Your First Dream of the New Year (Ep. 2)01/20/2017
    12:02
  3. 3.
    Koshin Shinko: The Three Worms in Your Body (Ep. 3)02/16/2017
    13:10
  4. 4.
    Monkeys and Monkey Lore! (Ep. 4)03/17/2017
    13:41
  5. 5.
    Kishibojin: The Mother of All Devils ー 鬼子母神 (Ep. 5)04/14/2017
    12:56
  6. 6.
    Japanese Superstitions Part I (Ep. 6)05/15/2017
    14:31
  7. 7.
    The Thousand-Stitch Belt (Senninbari) (Ep. 7)06/19/2017
    12:48
  8. 8.
    Obon Part One: On Cucumber Horses They Ride (Ep. 8)07/16/2017
    11:19
  1. 9.
    Obon Part Two: Sending Away Fires (Okuribi) (Ep. 9)08/15/2017
    16:47
  2. 10.
    Hungry Ghosts (Gaki) (Ep. 10)09/13/2017
    15:50
  3. 11.
    The Devil’s Gate (Kimon) (Ep. 11)10/18/2017
    19:51
  4. 12.
    Goroawase: Tricky Numbers (Ep. 12)11/16/2017
    15:35
  5. 13.
    Teachers Running (Shiwasu) (Ep. 13)12/17/2017
    17:18
  6. 14.
    Sokushinbutsu: The Corpses of “Living” Buddhas (Ep. 14)01/17/2018
    11:21
  7. 15.
    Inviting a Friend to Die (Rokuyo) (Ep. 15)02/19/2018
    12:58
  8. 16.
    Playing Hide and Seek by Yourself (Hitori Kakurenbo) (Ep. 16)03/18/2018
    10:53
  9. 17.
    Granny Dumping Mountain (Ubasute Yama) (Ep. 17)04/21/2018
    8:56
  10. 18.
    The God of Smallpox (Housougami) (Ep. 18)05/19/2018
    10:09
  11. 19.
    The Heavenly Demon (Amanojaku) + Bedtime Story! (Ep. 19)06/26/2018
    29:06
  12. 20.
    Ship Goddesses, Boat Ghosts, and Sea Monks (Funadama, Funa Yurei, Umi Bozu) (Ep. 20)07/19/2018
    9:56
  13. 21.
    Screaming and Crushing in Four Buddhist Hells (Ep. 21)08/14/2018
    11:48
  14. 22.
    Great Screaming and Uninterrupted Pain More Buddhist Hells (Ep. 22)09/03/2018
    9:46
  15. 23.
    The Slit-Mouthed Woman (Kuchisake Onna) (Ep. 23)09/20/2018
    13:13
  16. 24.
    A Bedtime Story: Kachi-Kachi Mountain (PG Version) (Ep. 24)10/11/2018
    26:07
  17. 25.
    Bancho Sarayashiki: Okiku and the Nine Plates (Ep. 25)10/29/2018
    9:40
  18. 26.
    Ojizo. The Little Guy Saving You and Yours From the Torments of Hell (Ep. 26)11/21/2018
    10:56
  19. 27.
    Ojizo Bound in Ropes Doused in Oil (Ep. 27)12/14/2018
    14:08
  20. 28.
    The Leech Boy Who Became a God (Ep. 28)01/14/2019
    11:07
  21. 29.
    The Devils are Coming! (Setsubun) (Ep. 29)01/29/2019
    12:55
  22. 30.
    Human-Faced Fish (Ep. 30)02/21/2019
    12:09
  23. 31.
    Story Time: Of a Mirror and a Bell (Lafcadio Hearn) (Ep. 31)03/06/2019
    15:08
  24. 32.
    Heavenly Dogs and Brilliant Swordsmen (The Tengu) (Ep. 32)03/31/2019
    11:35
  25. 33.
    Story Time: Hoichi The Earless by Lafcadio Hearn (Mimi-nashi Hoichi) (Ep. 33)04/15/2019
    24:16
  26. 34.
    Hidden by the Gods (Kamikakushi) (Ep. 34)05/06/2019
    16:13
  27. 35.
    Nanafushigi: Seven Mysterious Things (Ep. 35)05/27/2019
    15:44
  28. 36.
    The Rock That Cries at Night (Yonaki Ishi) (Ep. 36)06/27/2019
    12:58
  29. 37.
    Oni Kara Denwa: The Ogre App to Discipline Your Child (Ep. 37)07/21/2019
    17:23
  30. 38.
    Story Time: Cicada by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 38)08/08/2019
    20:29
  31. 39.
    Behind the Curtain: Advice for people coming to Japan (Ep. 39)08/22/2019
    18:05
  32. 40.
    Daruma - He Cut Off His What?! (Ep. 40)09/12/2019
    12:25
  33. 41.
    Japanese Superstitions II: Spider Lilies and Ghostly Trees (Ep. 41)10/10/2019
    13:25
  34. 42.
    Story Time: Yotsuya Kaidan (The Ghost of Oiwa) (Ep. 42)10/25/2019
    21:58
  35. 43.
    The Great Horned Master (Tsuno Daishi) (Ep. 43)11/14/2019
    12:50
  36. 44.
    Haunted Artifacts (Tsukumogami) (Ep. 44)12/24/2019
    13:05
  37. 45.
    Auspicious Cuisine (Osechi Ryori) (Ep. 45)01/23/2020
    16:43
  38. 46.
    Kanashibari and the Pillow Flipper (Makura Gaeshi) (Ep. 46)02/11/2020
    11:06
  39. 47.
    The Guest Room Child (Zashiki Warashi) (Ep. 47)02/27/2020
    15:46
  40. 48.
    The Kappa's Fart (Ep. 48)03/15/2020
    14:37
  41. 49.
    Close Encounter with an Amabie (Ep. 49)04/01/2020
    13:07
  42. 50.
    Story Time: Sand Walls, Paper Doors (Ep. 50)04/16/2020
    32:52
  43. 51.
    Children's Day Iris Baths and Golden Boys (Shobuyu and Kintaro) (Ep. 51)04/30/2020
    17:06
  44. 52.
    Putting a Curse on Your Enemies (Ushi no Koku Mairi) (Ep. 52)05/16/2020
    16:07
  45. 53.
    Creepy Children's Song (Kagome Kagome) (Ep. 53)05/29/2020
    16:40
  46. 54.
    Yokai-Related Sayings (Becoming a Tengu) (Ep. 54)06/18/2020
    15:27
  47. 55.
    Star-Crossed Lovers (Tanabata) (Ep.55)06/30/2020
    16:14
  48. 56.
    Food Superstitions and Sayings (Ep. 56)07/17/2020
    22:09
  49. 57.
    Story Time - The Jellyfish Takes a Journey (plus eel and seppuku!) (Ep. 57)07/29/2020
    17:20
  50. 58.
    Bon Odori: Dancing with the Dead (Ep. 58)08/17/2020
    20:02
  51. 59.
    Koumare Ishi: Inexplicable Rocks That Predict the Deaths of Monks (Ep. 59)09/01/2020
    15:10
  52. 60.
    Kanreki: Your Auspicious Years, Yakudoushi: Your Calamitous Ones (Ep. 60)09/15/2020
    16:09
  53. 61.
    Oiran: The Glamorous and Wretched Life of a High Courtesan (Ep. 61)09/30/2020
    15:56
  54. 62.
    Yuurei: Japanese Ghosts from Protective to Wrathful (Ep. 62)10/15/2020
    22:49
  55. 63.
    Shinrei Supotto: Freaky Haunted Areas in Japan (Ep. 63)10/31/2020
    21:48
  56. 64.
    Story Time: "The Dream of Akinosuke" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 64)11/16/2020
    21:27
  57. 65.
    Baku: The Eater of Dreams (Ep. 65)11/29/2020
    12:29
  58. 66.
    Toshikoshi Soba: Breaking Off the Pain of 2020 with Noodles (Ep. 66)12/16/2020
    18:02
  59. 67.
    Year of the Ox: Save Us All (Ep. 67)12/30/2020
    12:52
  60. 68.
    Enjoying the Luck of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) (Ep. 68)01/14/2021
    14:52

Listen to Uncanny Japan now.

Listen to Uncanny Japan in full in the Spotify app