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Uncanny Japan

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, folklorist, and graduate of the Clarion West workshop. Drawing on her over thirty-five years of living in Japan, she is the author of The Book of Japanese Folklore. Her horror short story collection (The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales) was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her forthcoming works include the Yokai Oracle Deck (Fall, 2025) and Legends of Japanese Mythology (Eyes Wide Editions, 2026).

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring the anomalous, the luminous, and the numinous. We’re a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

⁠spectrevisionradio.com⁠

⁠linktr.ee/spectrevision⁠

Latest Episodes:

What Empty Spaces Need (Audio Drama) (Ep. 181) Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

🎃 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 🎃

This year's Halloween episode is a full-length audio drama based on the urban legend of Sukima-onna—the woman who watches from the gaps.

An American English teacher in Japan loses everything: his job, his apartment, his passport. Drunk and desperate during a snowstorm, he finds shelter in an abandoned house. But he's not alone. Something lives in the cracks, the spaces between things. And it's been waiting for him.

Content Warning and Huge Spoilers, do not read unless you're a very sensitive person who needs content warnings before listening to a FRIKKIN' HALLOWEEN STORY--HELLOOO!, I'm about to ruin the ending for you, if you're so sensitive that you need a sensitivity reader-approved content warning, you should not listen to this episode or watch it on Spotify anyway: This story contains depictions of alcoholism, death by drowning, emotional manipulation/gaslighting, and peril involving children. Themes of isolation, homelessness, and psychological horror throughout. (Also, Terrie drops an S-Bomb.)

Written by: Thersa Matsuura and Rich Pav

Featuring the voices of: Thersa Matsuura and Rich Pav

Sound design: Rich Pav

Love this episode? Share it with someone who appreciates horror!

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About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ame-onna - Rain Woman's Original Ghost Story (Ep. 180) Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

We're getting closer to Halloween. How about another ghost story?

Ame-onna, the rain woman - a haggard looking thing, soaked to the bone, wandering rainy nights. There's lore about her, rumors, theories... but she doesn't have her own ghost story. So I fixed that.

First, I'll tell you the fascinating history: from Toriyama Sekien's 18th century yokai art (where she secretly represented courtesans) to the evolution into a grief-stricken mother searching for her stolen child. The Chinese literary connections. The "morning clouds, evening rain" idiom. The transformation from ephemeral beauty to child-stealing spirit.

Then I'll read you my original story, "Rain for Days" - because Ame-onna deserved her own complete ghost tale. A middle child named Jiro. A mother's warning. Rainy days in old Japan. And the moment when the rain woman appears in his room, reaching out with bony fingers...

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japan's Most Famous Ghost: My Retelling of Oiwa and the Yotsuya Kaidan (Ep. 179) Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

It's October. Time to pull a blanket around your shoulders, light a candle against the dark, and listen to a good old-fashioned ghost story.

There are many versions of the tragic tale of Japan's most famous ghost, Oiwa-san. But today, let me tell you my own retelling of her classic tale.

I told the story of Yotsuya Kaidan back in episode 42, but for this episode I rewrote the tale, telling it like a short story. The most famous version was a kabuki play written by Tsuruya Namboku IV called "Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan" which premiered on stage in 1825. He wrote the story based on some true-life happenings and scandals and murders, but also weaving in the idea of the vengeance of the dead—of the vengeful ghost wife.

Oiwa's story has also been depicted in woodblock ukiyo-e art, film, TV, books, and even modern horror. Where do you think some of the inspiration for Sadako in the Ring series came from?

This is one of Japan's "Big Three" ghost stories—a tale of betrayal, revenge, and a curse that still follows those who dare to perform it. Just a heads up—it is a ghost story with a little body horror mixed in, so it could probably not be appropriate for the younger audience.

Let's begin.

SpectreVision Radio presents Uncanny Japan.

Get the podcast on Apple | Google | RSS

Support the show: Patreon | Buy me a coffee

Connect: Instagram | X (Twitter)

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Sanshi: The Three Body-Parasite Problem (Ep. 178) Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

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 spiritual parasites. According to the traditions I discovered, we have three of these sanshi living inside our bodies.

Come with me as I explore how entire communities once stayed awake all night just to keep these things trapped inside them.

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Handful of Deadly Beach Beauties (Ep. 177) Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

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 of their blood, and the terrifying nure-onna - part woman, part massive snake, who uses cunning tricks to lure unsuspecting beach-goers.

You'll hear authentic ocean waves Richard and I recorded while researching this episode, plus stories from the Edo period about encounters with these shape-shifting entities who use beauty as their weapon.

Featured yōkai: iso-onna (coastal woman), nure-onna (wet woman)

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing Uncanny Japan Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

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 design or relaxing binaural soundscapes (ocean waves, autumn crickets, rice field frogs) all recorded right here in Japan.

Thersa Matsuura is a writer, folklorist, and graduate of the Clarion West workshop. Drawing on her over thirty years of living in Japan, she is the author of The Book of Japanese Folklore and the creator of the Uncanny Japan Podcast. Her horror short story collection The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her forthcoming works include the Yokai Oracle Deck (Fall, 2025) and Legends of Japanese Mythology (Eyes Wide Editions, 2026).

Websites

Uncanny Japan Podcast - https://uncannyjapan.com/

Thersa Matsuura - https://thersamatsuura.com/

Books

(These links are affiliate, which means I’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

The Japanese Book of Folklore - https://amzn.to/4mhPeDq

The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales (audio book read by Thersa) - https://amzn.to/411758Z

A Robe of Feathers and Other Stories - https://amzn.to/4ouci32

Yōkai Oracle Deck (pre order) - https://amzn.to/3HrZ0n1

Youtube

Uncanny Japan - https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan

Thersa Matsuura - https://www.youtube.com/@ThersaMatsuura

Social Media

Discord - ⁠https://discord.com/invite/XdMZTzmyUb⁠

Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/uncannyjapan.bsky.social

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/

Merch

Dashery - https://uncannyjapanmerch.dashery.com/

Threadless - https://uncannyjapan.threadless.com/

Support Us

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/thersamatsuura

Buy me a Coffee - https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray - https://instagram.com/julyan_ray

Uncanny Japan Mascot Modeled by Futemimi - https://vervain-shop.booth.pm/

Uncanny Japan Logo by Travis Carter - ⁠https://www.travispixels.com/⁠

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japanese Afterlife Guide: Navigate Buddhist Hell & Death (Ep. 176) Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

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, fearsome judgment ceremonies, and some surprisingly specific strategies for avoiding the worst punishments.

Come with me as I explore what I've discovered about these ancient Japanese Buddhist death traditions and how they still influence Japanese culture today.

Episode Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction & SpectreVision Announcement
(05:15) Japanese Death Journey Overview
(12:30) Buddhist Hell Concepts & Emma-ō Judge
(20:45) The 49-Day Underworld Navigation
(28:20) Karma Assessment & Reincarnation
(35:40) Practical Hell Avoidance Strategies
(41:15) Modern Buddhist Death Beliefs

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taira no Masakado: The First Samurai's Flying Head & Tokyo's Cursed Shrine (Ep. 175) Aug 02, 2025

Show notes

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 he a good guy? And yeah, we'll get into airborne heads too, and curses. His story is wild - a 10th-century warrior whose severed head refused to decay and flew 200 miles home to Tokyo. Come with me as I share this incredible supernatural legacy.

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saiō ga Uma: The Old Man's Horse & Finding Peace with Uncertainty (Ep. 174) Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

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 away, villagers say "how unlucky." But the old man says "who's to say what's good or bad?"

I share why this wisdom has been resonating with me, especially after my hospital stay this year. Come with me as we explore this fascinating piece of Japanese wisdom and finding peace with uncertainty.

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susanoo: Japan's Storm God - Chaos to Redemption (Ep. 173) Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

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.

This isn't your typical heroic god story. Without giving too much away, let's just say his relationship with his sister (who happens to be the sun goddess) gets... complicated. And the consequences affect literally everyone.

This tempestuous deity's journey takes him from cosmic family drama to facing something truly terrifying - but I'll let you discover those details yourself.

Come with me as I explore this Japanese mythology that feels surprisingly relatable in ways I didn't expect.

[Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.]

Follow Uncanny Japan

Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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