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Category: Japanese Superstitions 

Tsukimono: Possessed by an Animal (Ep. 187)

Remember that nice trip to Japan, where you visited that out of the way shrine, the one you just stumbled across while hiking. You and your partner got some great photos of the two stone foxes, cracked and covered in moss. And then back at the hotel, your partner began acting funny. Scratching behind their […]

Teru Teru Bōzu: Cute, Magical, Unsettling Origins (Ep. 144)

You'll often see ghostly-looking dolls strung up in windows in Japan on rainy days. What do they mean and why are they a little creepy?
Hand-drawn watercolor illustration of Teru Teru Bozu, traditional Japanese weather doll, hanging outside a window with a scenic view of a tree and house facade, showcasing Japanese culture and art.

Abe no Seimei & His Mysterious Place Near Me (Ep. 143)

Abe no Seimei was the greatest onmyōji in Japan. While he lived in Kyoto, he visited Shizuoka at some point and performed some magic, giving us another nanafushigi (seven mysterious things).
A disembodied hand begins to draw Abe No Seimei.

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.

The Dreaded Northern Pillow (kitamakura) and Fan Death (Ep. 136)

Is sleeping with your head facing north a practice that'll bring you bad luck and invite death or is it good luck, welcoming a restful night's sleep and money?
Reclining Buddha statue with radiant halo, symbolic of peace, resting on a colorful pillow facing north, with an artistic backdrop of mountains, representing the Japanese kitamakura myth

“The Other Side” A Creepy Japanese Ghost Story (Ep. 135)

"The Other Side" is a ghost story I wrote using some of the more common Japanese scary tropes. Put on some headphones and turn out the lights and let me tell you a story.
Dimly lit brick tunnel with arched ceiling and a series of lights leading into the distance.

Doom and Bloom: Cherry Blossom Folk Beliefs (Ep. 121)

Bloom and Gloom or Cherry Blossom Folk Beliefs or Sakura: The Wonderful and the Worrisome Hello there, I’m Thersa Matsuura and you’re listening to Uncanny Japan. What do you know about sakura or cherry blossoms? Let me guess, something like, every year in Japan when spring rears its balmy, bird-chirping, flower-budding head, the trees fill […]
Close-up of pink cherry blossoms on a tree branch with a blurred background.

Shichifukujin: Your Personal Lucky God (Ep. 116)

Which of the Seven Lucky Gods is your patron deity and what does it mean?
The Laughing Buddha Hotei
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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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