Daruma - He Cut Off His What?! (Ep. 40)
His eyelids. He cut off his eyelids. But that is not all that the Daruma (Bodhidharma) is famous for. He's the man who brought Chan to China and Zen to Japan. Some say he taught the Shaolin monks how ...
12 Sep 201914min
Behind the Curtain: Advice for people coming to Japan (Ep. 39)
Episode 39 of Uncanny Japan is different, it's special. Today I forgo my usual format and invite my friend, fellow long time expat, and Sound Dude, Rich Pav, to join me in answering some listener ques...
22 Aug 201921min
Story Time: Cicada by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 38)
In Episode 38, you can listen to Lafcadio Hearn's whimsical take on the cicada (semi) while enjoying some real time cicada singing in the background. Visit the Uncanny Japan website to read the show ...
8 Aug 201923min
Oni Kara Denwa: The Ogre App to Discipline Your Child (Ep. 37)
Ever since I saw a mother discipline her child by threatening to call an oni/ogre, I've been wanting to do talk about this. Then I found out it really is a thing, an app called Oni Kara Denwa (A Call ...
21 Jul 201920min
The Rock That Cries at Night (Yonaki Ishi) (Ep. 36)
A rock that gets weepy when the sun goes down, a pregnant woman slain alone in the mountains, a newborn baby visited by a ghostly priest who feds him candy to stay alive. These are all parts of this m...
27 Jun 201915min
Nanafushigi: Seven Mysterious Things (Ep. 35)
A giant hairy foot crashing through the roof of an old house and demanding to be washed. A festive tanuki band that appears in the dead of night and lures you into parts unknown. These are just two of...
27 Mai 201918min
Hidden by the Gods (Kamikakushi) (Ep. 34)
Today's show feels like a wacky and wonderful one. You see, I started talking about the tengu in Episode 32 (Heavenly Dogs and Brilliant Swordsmen), but I wasn't able to cover one of my favorite thing...
6 Mai 201919min
Story Time: Hoichi The Earless by Lafcadio Hearn (Mimi-nashi Hoichi) (Ep. 33)
After coming to live in Japan (1890), Lafcadio Hearn listened intently to the folk stories and ghostly tales that were related to him. He then wrote them down in English, adding his own unique style a...
15 Apr 201927min
