Koumare Ishi: Inexplicable Rocks That Predict the Deaths of Monks (Ep. 59)
Koumare Ishi is one of the nanafushigi or seven mysterious occurrences from my area. The belief is that a rock is born from the side of the mountain, and when it falls the head abbot of the nearby tem...
1 Sep 202017min
Bon Odori: Dancing with the Dead (Ep. 58)
Bon Odori or Bon Dancing is a summer tradition held all over Japan. It's a chance for families to get together and have an enjoyable time dancing to the rhythmical music. Seeing as how the Obon season...
17 Aug 202023min
Story Time - The Jellyfish Takes a Journey (plus eel and seppuku!) (Ep. 57)
Ever wonder why a jellyfish looks the way they do? Well, the Japanese folktale "The Jellyfish Takes a Journey" (Kurage no Honenashi) tells you how that came about. Then after that folktale, I'll give ...
29 Juli 202020min
Food Superstitions and Sayings (Ep. 56)
Why shouldn't you eat crab and watermelon together? What will happen if you don't eat all the rice in your bowl? Today I'll answer these and a whole lot more. Japanese food superstitions and sayings a...
17 Juli 202025min
Star-Crossed Lovers (Tanabata) (Ep.55)
Tanabata is a Japanese festival based on the bizarre tale of two star-crossed lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi. In episode 55, I'll tell you their story, explain a little about the origins and how it's c...
30 Juni 202019min
Yokai-Related Sayings (Becoming a Tengu) (Ep. 54)
What if someone told you that you were turning into a tengu, one of those red-faced, long-nosed goblins? What would they mean? In this episode of Uncanny Japan, I talk about a handful of Japanese sayi...
18 Juni 202017min
Creepy Children's Song (Kagome Kagome) (Ep. 53)
In Japan "Kagome Kagome" is an old children's game and the song that goes along with it. It's interesting because the mysterious lyrics have several different interpretations and most of them are pret...
29 Maj 202019min
Putting a Curse on Your Enemies (Ushi no Koku Mairi) (Ep. 52)
Ushi no Koku Mairi means visiting a shrine at the hour of the ox (between 1:00 and 3:00 am). It also means going there so you can put a curse on your enemy. Deriving from the legend of Hashi Hime (The...
16 Maj 202019min
