Uncanny Japan - Japanese Folklore, Folktales, Myths and Language
Society & Culture:Places & Travel
Let’s say you have a plague of insects, like millions of cicada awakening after a years-long slumber. Or worse, bugs that would rather devour your crops. And let’s say this is happening 200 years ago so you don’t have your pesticides or DDT to wipe them out.
What do you do?
Why you have an absolutely delightful festival, with dances, and Buddhist or Shinto prayers, and taiko drumming, flute fluting. It’s called mushi okuri, (虫送り) or sending off the insects.
Bug News: Body Parasites or Ghosts (Mushi no Shirase)? (Ep. 148)
Falling Trees: Tengu or Furusoma (Creepy Dead Guy)?(Ep. 147)
Story Time: The Mirror Maiden by Lafcadio Hearn (Ep. 146)
Ryomen Sukuna: Awesome Saint or Japan-Destroying Demon? (Ep. 145)
Teru Teru Bōzu: Cute, Magical, Unsettling Origins (Ep. 144)
Abe no Seimei & His Mysterious Place Near Me (Ep. 143)
Nami-Kozō: The Creepy Little Wave Boy (Ep. 142)
The All-powerful Five Elements and You (Ep. 141)
A Rollicking and Powerful Year of the Dragon 2024 (Ep. 140)
Joya no Kane: Purify Yourself With This Episode (Ep. 139)
Shochikubai: Pine, Bamboo, Plum and Samurai Shade (Ep. 138)
A Delightful Dive into Meiji Era Yokai News (Ep. 137)
The Dreaded Northern Pillow (kitamakura) and Fan Death (Ep. 136)
"The Other Side" A Creepy Japanese Ghost Story (Ep. 135)
Creepy Haunted Tunnels in Japan (Ep. 134)
Okiku: The Haunted Doll (Ep. 133)
Myth Tales Vol. 1: Origin that Ends with Dragons (Ep. 132)
Summer Festival Part 2: Games and Dancing (Ep. 131)
Summer Festival: Outfits and the Eats (Ep. 130)
"Concerning Tea"... a reading (Ep. 129)
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