Ningyo: The Ugly (and Delicious!) Japanese Mermaid (Ep. 83)
A Japanese mermaid is called a ningyo (人魚) or human fish. Today I'll tell you about their history, the good, the bad, and the delicious! Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show notes and tra...
30 Aug 202120min
Obon Story Time: "At Yaidzu" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 82)
It's Obon and today I want to read to you an essay by Lafcadio Hearn. He wrote it about the town he would stay at during summers, the town I've lived in for 25 plus years. Here he talks not just about...
15 Aug 202133min
Hitobashira: The Tragic Stories of Human Pillars (Ep. 81)
How do you build a bridge that stands up to storms and floods? Well, you have to appease the nature gods, of course. But how do you do that? Human sacrifice seemed to have worked in the past. Today I'...
30 Jul 202121min
The Adorably Creepy Tofu Kozo (Ep. 80)
The Tofu Kozo is a seemingly innocent little yokai who appears on rainy days offering a plate of tofu to unsuspecting people. What could possibly go wrong? Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the...
15 Jul 202111min
Mushi Okuri: Sending Off the Bugs (Ep. 79)
Let's say you have a plague of insects, like millions of cicada awakening after a years-long slumber. Or worse, bugs that would rather devour your crops. And let's say this is happening 200 years ago ...
29 Jun 202113min
Utsuro-Bune: The Hollow (Space?) Ship (Ep. 78)
We're being visited by UAPs, Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon. Or you might be more familiar with their older name: UFOs. There is a lot of interesting news coming out these days. You've probably seen i...
15 Jun 202112min
Story Time – "Kaguya Hime: The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Princess" (Ep. 77)
Today I'll read to you, "The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Princess" called Kaguya Hime in Japanese. It's an old tale that some believe talks about otherworldly visitors. Was the Moon Princess an extrate...
1 Jun 202144min
Fuujin & Raijin: The Gods of Thunder and Wind (Ep. 76)
Who are Fujin and Raijin (the Japanese Wind God and Thunder God), where did they come from, and what do they do? Today I'll tell you about their origins in India and a Japanese Goddesses' decaying bod...
16 Mai 202114min
