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 it.
Well, guess what, they've been coming for quite awhile and I have proof.
Today let's talk about the utsuro-bune (虚舟) or utsuro-fune, the legend of the holl ... Show More
Jun 1
The Ghost-Playing Actor Who Became a REAL Vengeful Ghost: Kohada Koheiji (Ep. 191)
Not all Japanese revenge ghosts are wronged women. Meet Kohada Koheiji: a failed Edo-period actor who became famous for playing ghosts, only to be murdered, drowned, and returned as the very thing he once performed. In this episode, we explore the tangled history of the “real” Ko ... Show More
30m 56s
May 18
All That Flows: Benzaiten, White Snakes, and Human-Headed Serpents
In this episode of Uncanny Japan, we follow Benzaiten — also known as Benten — from her origins as Saraswati to her place among Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. Along the way: Enoshima’s five-headed dragon, white snakes as divine messengers, snake-skin wallets, house snakes, and Ugajin, ... Show More
22m 30s
May 4
Everyone Has a Throat Buddha / What is it and Why? -- Nodohotoke & Story Time: "The Buddha Bone" (Ep. 189)
Have you ever heard of the nodo-hotoke, or “throat Buddha”? In everyday Japanese, it usually refers to the Adam’s apple. But after death, especially in the context of cremation, the nodo-hotoke becomes something else entirely, the actual seat of your soul. In this episode of Unca ... Show More
32m 51s
Apr 2021
223A-Samurai Legends: The Devil went down to Kyoto
Three connected stories of samurai from medieval Japan. On the first, Kintaro, a buff eight-year-old, discovers his destiny. On the second, Watanabe no Tsuna, a samurai warrior in his prime fights a demon that's been terrorizing a gate in Kyoto, and on the third he's recruited by ... Show More
40m 24s
Jan 2024
HOIA-BACIU FOREST - A Location of the Supernatural, Paranormal, & Extraterrestrial
Hoia-Baciu Forest - Located in a forest situated to the west of the city of Cluj-Napoca, has long been the subject of intrigue, fear, and fascination. Often referred to as the “Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania,” this dense, mysterious canopied woodland has become well-known for p ... Show More
37m 15s
Jun 2024
FORT RILEY, Kansas – Hauntings in the Heartland
Fort Riley - with its rich military history dating back to the 19th century, is reputed to be haunted by the spirits of soldiers who once served there. Eerie tales of ghostly apparitions, unexplained sounds, and paranormal activity in the old barracks and historic buildings contr ... Show More
39m 38s
Feb 2021
214-Japanese Folklore: Take Your Lumps
<p>Two short stories from Japan. On the first, an old man is in a tree surrounded by demons and faced with a desperate choice. On the second, a man has a pet that his wife is not thrilled about, so she makes that known. With scissors.</p>
<p>The creature is a sad cow! Or a vamp ... Show More
32m 58s
Mar 2022
262-Japanese Folklore: Fatal Attraction
Three stories from Japan about love gone wrong. On the first, the fairest youth in all the land is set to marry the daughter of a rich noble. The problem? His father kind of oversold his looks... On the second, we'll see why moths and other nighttime bugs go toward the light, and ... Show More
41m 9s
Jun 2016
36B-Pocahontas: Between Two Streams
An abbreviated history of Pocahontas and John Smith, this episode looks at the conflict largely from the Powhatan side. This isn't the Disney version. It is gritty, dark, violent, and, if Mattaponi oral history is to be trusted, fairly disturbing. Still, it tells the story of a c ... Show More
1h 1m
