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Supernatural Japan
Supernatural Japan is a podcast about the weirder side of Japan. Learn about hauntings, ghostly tales, legends, UFOs, and a lot more. Join host Kevin O'Shea and guests as they investigate and research the spookier side of Japan. Sometimes serious, sometimes light-hearted and always interesting, this podcast has a little something for everyone interested in Japan, history, and the supernatural.
Episodes
37 episodes
Exploring the Paranormal with Jim Harold
In this special episode of Supernatural Japan, we sit down with legendary paranormal podcaster Jim Harold—host of The Paranormal Podcast, Jim Harold’s Campfire, and The Paranormal Report. We explore Jim’s jou...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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42:46
The Monster With 21 Faces: Japan’s Most Mysterious Criminal Mastermind
In this chilling episode of Supernatural Japan, we dive into the bizarre and terrifying case of The Monster With 21 Faces—a criminal entity that terrorized Japan in the 1980s with poison threats, corporate blackmail, and taunt...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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13:15
The Hachioji Supermarket Murders
In this gripping episode of Supernatural Japan, we investigate the infamous Hachioji Supermarket Murders—a brutal unsolved triple homicide that shocked Tokyo in 1995. Who killed three innocent employees inside a quiet family-owned stor...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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6:15
Kintaro: The Golden Boy of Japanese Folklore
In this mythic episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore the legendary tale of Kintaro—the "Golden Boy" of Japanese folklore. Raised in the mountains by a mysterious mountain witch, Kintaro possessed superhuman strength, tamed wild ani...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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7:58
The Karakasa Yokai - Japan’s Umbrella Ghost
In this mini-episode, we’re stepping into the world of tsukumogami in Japan, a household object that has come to life after a hundred years! Our focus? The ever-charming and mischievous Karakasa-obake, or as some call it, the umbrella ...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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5:31
The Mystery of the Ningen (ニンゲン) - Japan’s Icy Cryptid?
In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we plunge into the freezing waters of the Antarctic to uncover the mystery of a cryptid that has left internet users and conspiracy theorists questioning reality. Is there something massive, pale, and huma...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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10:00
Osorezan (Mount Fear) – Japan’s Gateway to the Afterlife
In this episode, we look at Osorezan 恐山, or Mount Fear, as it’s ominously known. Located at the northern tip of Honshu, Osorezan is more than just a mountain. It’s believed to be one of Japan’s entrances to the underworld—a sacred, haunted land...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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9:42
Lost in the Snow – The Haunting of Hakkōda Mountains
In this chilling episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore the haunting true story of the Hakkōda Mountains Incident, where 199 Japanese soldiers perished in a deadly blizzard during a 1902 military exercise. As we recount the tragic m...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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8:34
Lucky Animals in Japan - Part 1 - Swallows and Owls
Today, we’re diving into the world of lucky animals—creatures believed to bring fortune, protection, and prosperity in Japanese culture. From the wise owl to the mystical fox, these animals are more than just symbols; they are deeply wov...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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12:42
Teke Teke テケテケ – The Ghost That Crawls
Teke Teke テケテケ is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a Japanese school girl hunting those she can find. She was hit by a train and severed in half. She became an onryo, or a vengeful spirit. She lurks in urban areas and roams train stat...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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8:16
The Legend of Oiran Buchi - Chilling Betrayal at “The Courtesan’s Bridge"
The story of Oiran Buchi, also known as "The Courtesan’s Bridge," is a chilling legend from Japan, specifically associated with a region in Yamanashi Prefecture. However, its eerie reputation has reached far and wide, including being recounted ...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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10:37
Awashima Jinja - Japan’s Shrine for Unwanted (Haunted?) Dolls
In this episode of the Supernatural Japan Podcast, we explore the mystical Awashima Shrine in Wakayama, Japan—a sacred site renowned for its unique connection to dolls and fertility. Known as the resting place for old ...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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9:17
Japanese Yokai: Dorotabo - Muddy Rice-field Monk
In this bite-sized episode, we look at the Dorotabō (泥田坊, "muddy rice field monk"), who is a type of yokai from Japanese folklore. It is believed to be the restless spirit of a farmer who, in life, worked tirelessly to cultivate and care for...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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5:15
Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女) - The Slit-Mouthed Woman
In this episode, we delve into the chilling Japanese urban legend of Kuchisake-ona. We explore the origins of this tale, which tells of a vengeful spirit who approaches individuals, particularly children, asking, "Am I pretty?" Depending on ...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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12:00
Hibagon (ヒバゴン) - Japan’s Bigfoot
The Hibagon (ヒバゴン) is the Japanese equivalent of the North American Bigfoot. Many believe that it inhabits the areas around Mount Hiba in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. In this episode, we talk to Canadian author Kyle Brink. He has been re...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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54:12
Japanese Yokai: Akaname - The Filth Licker (Bathroom Licker)
The Akaname (垢嘗め) is a yokai from Japanese folklore with a rather unique and unsettling role—it is known as the "filth licker." Its name translates to "scum licker" or "grime licker," and it is said to haunt dirty bathrooms, bathhouses, and oth...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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4:42
Tokyo’s Haunted Yokoamicho Park and Ireido Hall
Nestled in Yokoamicho Park in Tokyo, Japan, stands the Ireido Memorial Hall, a sacred space dedicated to the tens of thousands who perished in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 as well as the Tokyo Air aids of WW2. Thousands of people died ...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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14:20
Japanese Yokai: The Tanuki - Japan’s Shapeshifting Trickster
The Tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dog, is a unique creature in Japanese culture, blending real-world zoology with centuries of rich folklore. Its mythical counterpart is a shapeshifting trickster and a symbol of good fortune in Japanese my...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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14:02
The Inunaki Village 犬鳴村 (Terrifying Japanese Uban Legend)
In this episode, we examine the well-known and terrifying tale of the Inunaki Village in Fukuoka, Prefecture in Japan. Was there a mysterious village locked in time where its residents terrorize any unfortunate soul who stumbles across it? T...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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13:55
Japanese Yokai - Kappa
Japanese Yokai are supernatural creatures or spirits in Japanese folklore and mythology. In this podcast episode, we look at the most iconic Japanese Yokai, the Kappa. Kappa are mischievous and sometimes dangerous, known for pulling peopl...
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Episode 17
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10:41
Haunted Osaka - Shirokita Park
During the final days of World War 2, the city of Osaka suffered greatly from Allied bombing. Many industrial complexes along Osaka’s Yodo River were targeted. On one fateful day, more than a thousand factory workers, women, and children lost t...
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Episode 16
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12:24
The Ghosts of Hachioji Castle
The Hachioji Castle ruins are located near Tokyo, Japan in Hachioji City. In 1590, this was the site of a brutal battle that saw the Hojo Call fall to the powerful forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. To avoid capture, the families of the defenders br...
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Episode 15
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19:01
The Ghost of Kobe's Ikuta Shrine
In this episode we visit the port city of Kobe, Japan. In the heart of the city, in Sannomiya, is Ikuta Shrine. It’s stood there formore than a thousand years and has gone through many changes and at times, some tragic events. Visitors to Ikuta...
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17:21
Mossie, Japan’s Loch Ness Monster
When we think of famous cryptids, Bigfoot, Yeti, and chupacabra come to mind, but Japan has its fair share of mysterious creatures. The first recorded sightings of o mysterious sea serpent-like creature, dubbed Mossie, date back to the early 19...
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Episode 13
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11:55
The Gifu Poltergeist and Spooky Tales with Phillip Jackson
In this Halloween week episode, we chat with Japan-based writer Phillip Jackson. He talks about his new books, Paranormal Japan as well as Tengu and Other Stories. Phillip shares some tales from his latest book including ones about the Gifu ...
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Episode 12
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39:17
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