Uncanny Japan is a podcast about all the more obscure corners of old Japan, from strange superstitions, cultural curiosities, to creepy creatures. Here you can discover all the lesser known gems that author Thersa Matsuura digs up while doing research for her writing. Every episode is uniquely soothing, brought to life by immersive sound design or relaxing binaural soundscapes (ocean waves, autumn crickets, rice field frogs) all recorded right here in Japan. Thersa Matsuura is a writer, folk ...
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Hyperbolicparaboloid Podcasts
Listen in as speculative fiction writer and Bram Stoker Award Finalist and Clarion West 2015 Graduate Thersa Matsuura reads and shares some great tales. Each episode aims to showcase the most immersive storytelling with both classics and Thersa's own writing accompanied by high quality soundscapes created for hours of relaxation. Also check out her other podcast, Uncanny Japan for Japanese folklore, folktales, cultural tidbits and superstitions!
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Humorous and surreal short stories and audio dramas read and performed by humans. || Multi Dimension Independent Film Festival "Best Podcast Stories" Winner Written and performed by Bram Stoker Award Finalist and Clarion West 2015 Graduate Thersa Matsuura and audio engineer Rich Pav.
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Sanshi: The Three Body-Parasite Problem (Ep. 178)
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I finally got to go on a walk again after all the oppressive August heat. I live around rice fields, mostly. There are some houses, of course, along the main road, and then every so often, a knee-high stone tower or stele. These are called kōshintō. What I found particularly intriguing was how these connect to some rather unsettling beliefs about s…
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A Handful of Deadly Beach Beauties (Ep. 177)
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Japan's summer heat is inescapable, driving people to seek relief at the beach. But what if I told you there are supernatural dangers lurking along Japan's 14,125 islands that make rip currents seem harmless? In this episode, I share what I discovered about two particularly deceptive coastal yōkai: the iso-onna (coastal woman) who drains visitors o…
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Uncanny Japan is a podcast about all the more obscure corners of old Japan, from strange superstitions, cultural curiosities, to creepy creatures. Here you can discover all the lesser known gems that author Thersa Matsuura digs up while doing research for her writing. Uncanny Japan is a uniquely soothing podcast brought to life by immersive sound d…
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Japanese Afterlife Guide: Navigate Buddhist Hell & 49-Day Death Journey (Ep. 176)
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So, you've died in Japan. Let me help you navigate the underworld and if we can, avoid the nastiest hells. What does Japanese Buddhism suggest happens after death? I found these traditional afterlife concepts fascinating - there's this whole intricate spiritual bureaucracy that kicks in once you die. I'm talking about a 49-day underworld journey, f…
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Taira no Masakado: The First Samurai's Flying Head & Tokyo's Cursed Shrine (Ep. 175)
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Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night wondering who Japan's first samurai was? And then maybe wondering if severed heads can actually fly? Well, that's exactly what I want to talk to you about today. Today I'm going to tell you about the fierce, the legendary Taira no Masakado, who's been dubbed the first samurai. Was he a bad guy? Was …
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Saiō ga Uma: The Old Man's Horse & Finding Peace with Uncertainty (Ep. 174)
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It's very strange, but this ancient Japanese proverb "Saiō ga Uma" has been popping up in my thoughts a lot lately. I kept hearing it mentioned, so I thought I'd share what I discovered. "Saiō ga Uma" means "the old man's horse" - it's a 2,000-year-old parable about a man whose good and bad fortunes are never what they first appear. His horse runs …
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Myth Tales Vol. 2: The Wonderfully Unhinged Susanoo (Ep. 173)
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Ever wonder what happens when a Japanese god has serious anger management issues? This is the second episode in my Myth Tales series, and I want to share what I discovered about Susanoo, the storm deity whose story completely surprised me. Here's what fascinated me most about researching Susanoo - this isn't your typical heroic god story. Without g…
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Tsuyu: Japan's Dreaded Fifth Season - Rain, Mold, and Yokai Spirits (Ep. 172)
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Don't let anyone tell you Japan has four distinct seasons. You'll hear that a lot. But it's not true. Japan actually has five seasons. Everyone forgets tsuyu, the rainy season, and all that entails. In this episode, I explore Japan's most dreaded time of year - the humid, moldy, relentlessly gray weeks of tsuyu. From the architecture designed to co…
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Tōdaiki: The Truly Horrific Tale of the Candlestick Demon (Ep. 171)
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Think modern travel is stressful? At least you probably won't end up transformed into a living candlestick by dark magic. I've always been fascinated by stories about people who leave home and never come back. But what I'm about to tell you is worse than just disappearing. I'm sharing two incredible tales from Japan's most dangerous era of internat…
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Story Time: "Readings from the Dream Book" by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 1 70)
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Sometimes we all need a little break from reality, and that's exactly what I'm offering in this deeply contemplative episode. Against the backdrop of soothing Pacific Ocean waves recorded on the Japanese coast, I read Lafcadio Hearn's complete mystical piece "Readings from a Dream Book." This haunting work from his collection "Shadowings" takes us …
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Harnessing the Power of the Dragon God: Ryūjin (Ep. 169)
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What happens when you follow a sea turtle down to an underwater dragon palace? In this episode, I'm exploring the world of Ryūjin, the Japanese Dragon God. There's way more to this than I expected when I started researching. [Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use an…
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Japan's Most Sacred Mountain: A Fire-Resistant Goddess and a Sword-Licking Mystic (Ep. 168)
19:24
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Mount Fuji isn't just Japan's tallest peak - it's home to some of the most extraordinary legends in Japanese folklore. In this episode, I explore the spiritual heart of Fuji-san through two remarkable figures who shaped its mystical identity. I also share my own Mount Fuji climbing experience from the early 90s - a cautionary tale about the importa…
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A Kanto vs Kansai Culinary Journey (Ep. 167)
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What happens when an entire country can't agree on how to make the same dish? In this episode, I explore one of Japan's most delightful cultural rivalries: the Kanto versus Kansai divide that splits the country right down the middle. From my years living near the dividing line around Hakone, I've discovered how the same dishes are prepared complete…
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