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).
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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).
Japan's Most Famous Ghost: My Retelling of Oiwa and the Yotsuya Kaidan (Ep. 179)
Uncanny Japan
34 minutes
1 month ago
Japan's Most Famous Ghost: My Retelling of Oiwa and the Yotsuya Kaidan (Ep. 179)
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.
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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).
