Uncanny Japan
SpectreVision Radio
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
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 18, 2022 • 24min
Toilet Gods: Yes! There are More Than One! (Ep. 98)
Let me tell you all about the gods that are lurking in your loo. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 31, 2022 • 19min
Supernatural Cats: Nekomata (Ep. 97)
The nekomata is a mysterious feline with two tails and a penchant for dancing. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 15, 2022 • 20min
The Killing Stone: Sessho Seki (Ep. 96)
It was all over the news: Japan's Infamous Killing Stone that was housing a chaotic, disaster inducing nine-tailed fox spirit, broke in half on March 5th, 2022. Is the fox spirit free? I'll tell you all about it on this episode. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 28, 2022 • 17min
The Human-Faced Tumor: Jinmensou (Ep.95)
On today's episode I'm going to tell you about an affliction that involved a strange growth on some part of your body that had the face of a human and did horrible things. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 18, 2022 • 58min
Introducing the Uncanny Robot Podcast
As a bonus for Uncanny Japan listeners, we would like to share a preview of our brand-new show, "Uncanny Robot Podcast." Yes, more Uncanny goodness! Wonderfully wild AI-created stories read by humans (that would be Thersa and Richard) with a little commentary thrown in, too. Thank you so much for subscribing and listening to Uncanny Japan. We really hope you like the new podcast as well. https://www.uncannyrobotpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 16, 2022 • 26min
Story Time: Tango no Hitobashira / The Human Pillar of Tango (Ep. 94)
The Human Pillar of Tango. This is a retelling of an old folktale that I've never seen translated into English. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 30, 2022 • 17min
The Ferocious Oni (Ep. 93)
Japanese oni are a very deep and varied subject. Learn about these mountain-dwelling ogres and what they do. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Calm Dreamy Piano by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8791-calm-dreamy-piano License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 15, 2022 • 17min
Chindon-ya: Eccentric Street Musicians (Ep. 92)
Who are these eccentric street musicians dressed in bright kimono playing drums, bells, clarinet, and saxophone marching down your street? What do they want? Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Calm Dreamy Piano by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8791-calm-dreamy-piano License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 30, 2021 • 15min
Good Luck Superstitions in Japan (Ep. 91)
It's been a rough couple of years, so today let's talk about some Japanese good luck superstitions. Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Laia by Woeha Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8710-laia License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 17, 2021 • 27min
Mayoiga: The Mysterious House You Find When You’re Lost (Ep. 90)
A mayoiga is a house that magically appears when you're lost in the forest or mountains. If you venture in, what will you find? What should you do? Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Her other shows are Uncanny Robot Podcast and The Soothing Stories Podcast. Check out her books including The Carp-Faced Boy on Amazon. If you'd like to help support the podcast and have a bedtime story read to you monthly, please visit Patreon. Please join our community forum! https://japanforum.uncanny.productions/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncannyJapan Mastodon: https://famichiki.jp/@UncannyJapan Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution): https://buymeacoffee.com/uncannyjapan Credits Intro music by Julyan Ray Matsuura Sneakers by Brian Holtz Music Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8666-sneakers License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Little Trolls by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8104-little-trolls License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
