{"podcast":{"title":"Uncanny Japan","slug":"uncanny-japan-53805","podcast_index_feed_id":53805,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/uncannyjapan","website_url":"https://www.uncannyjapan.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/ce789110-6ed9-11f0-8407-37934f626e58/image/292cdc40479dd2ca3b3f4c150781b3ba.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"SpectreVision Radio","episode_count":198,"summary":"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 passio…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-08T00:17:59.449469+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805"},"episode":{"title":"Saiō ga Uma: The Old Man's Horse & Finding Peace with Uncertainty (Ep. 174)","slug":"sai-ga-uma-the-old-man-s-horse-finding-peace-with-uncertainty-ep-174","published_at":"2025-06-26T00:18:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805/sai-ga-uma-the-old-man-s-horse-finding-peace-with-uncertainty-ep-174","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805","url":"https://uncannyjapan.com/podcast/saio-ga-uma/","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/PHTE2586739732.mp3?updated=1762498975","summary":"It's very strange, but this ancient Japanese proverb \"Saiō ga Uma\" has been popping up in my thoughts a lot lately. I kept hearing it mentioned, so I thought I'd share what I discovered. \"Saiō ga Uma\" means \"the old man's horse\" - it's a 2,000-year-old parable about a man whose good and bad fortunes are never what they first appear. His horse runs away, villagers say \"how unlucky.\" But the old man says \"who's to say what's good or bad?\" I share why this wisdom has been resonating with me, especially after my hospital stay this year. Come with me as we explore this fascinating piece of Japanese wisdom and finding peace with uncertainty. [Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.] Follow Uncanny Japan Patreon Uncanny Japan Website Thersa Matsuura Website Books on Amazon YouTube Facebook Instagram Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution) Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Credits Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura About SpectreVision Radio SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions. spectrevisionradio.comlinktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"It's very strange, but this ancient Japanese proverb \"Saiō ga Uma\" has been popping up in my thoughts a lot lately. I kept hearing it mentioned, so I thou…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1051,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/uncanny-japan-53805/episodes/sai-ga-uma-the-old-man-s-horse-finding-peace-with-uncertainty-ep-174/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805/sai-ga-uma-the-old-man-s-horse-finding-peace-with-uncertainty-ep-174.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}