Japanese Mythology: Yamato Takeru, Tragic Hero or Imperial Symbol?
The stark contrast between the two earliest accounts of his life: the Kojiki, which portrays him as a tragic hero exiled by a fearful father, and the Nihon Shoki, which depicts him as a perfectly loya...
12 Loka 202514min
The legend of Emperor Sutoku's transformation into a vengeful spirit.
How a rejected prayer, a holy scripture written in blood, became a 700-year curse that toppled an empire.In this episode of our podcast, we explore one of Japan's most powerful and enduring legends: t...
8 Loka 202512min
The myth of Hoori and Hoderi (Luck of the Sea and Luck of the Mountains)
The myth of Hoori and Hoderi is not just a fairytale about sibling rivalry but a sophisticated political allegory created to provide divine justification for the Yamato imperial court's historical sub...
8 Loka 202513min
The Tale of the Straw Millionaire (Warashibe Chōja)
The story's evolution from a Buddhist parable, where wealth is a reward for piety and selfless compassion, into the secular "trading quest" trope found in modern video games.In this podcast, we explor...
6 Loka 202517min
The horror tale of the Hashihime of Uji (The Bridge Princess)
The idea that the Hashihime was not a passive victim who became a ghost, but a living woman who willfully transformed herself into a demon through a horrifying ritual to enact her own revenge.In this ...
6 Loka 202514min
The Real-Life Horror Behind the Ghost of Yotsuya
The story of Oiwa's ghost is a famous tale of domestic horror, but it's also a dark reflection of the real-life terror and deadly rivalries within the Shogun's Harem, where thousands of women competed...
2 Loka 202515min
The Purity and Power of Tawara Tōda's Arrow (My Lord Bag of Rice)
The idea that a monster impervious to normal weapons was defeated not by a magical sword, but by the hero's own saliva, revealing a deep connection between spiritual purity and martial victory in Japa...
2 Loka 202512min
