The Mysterious Japan

Episode 36: Oiwa's Revenge

This is Part 2 of the ghost story Oiwa, one of the three great ghost stories of Japan. In this fright filled conclusion, hear the fate of Oiwa and how her ghost takes revenge on each of the plotters.

Episode 35: Oiwa Part One

The Yotsuya Kaidan is one of the three great ghost stories of Japan. The story is often truncated in English without the full horror of Oiwa's story and and betrayal that turned her into a vengeful ghost. Listen to her sad and terrifying tale three hundred years in the making.

Episode 34: The Peony Lantern

Listen to this retelling of Otsuya and the Peony Lantern, considered to be one of the three greatest ghost stories in Japan. They say that death cannot stop love, but in Japan, ghosts can kill for love.

Episode 33: The Night of 100 Horror Stories

August is the time of ghosts and the dead rising in Japan. Today we explore the tradition of the night of 100 ghost stories in Japan and hear four horror tales based on this tradition from various geographies in Japan.

Episode 32: Japan's Lake Monsters

Japan has a history of lake monsters inhabiting its lakes. Like the Lock Ness Monster, some appear to be surviving plesiosaurs, while others may be something entirely different. In this episode, we take a look at the stories behind Issie, Mossie, Hama-chan, and other lake cryptids of Japan.