{"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":"Tsukimono: Possessed by an Animal (Ep. 187)","slug":"tsukimono-possessed-by-an-animal-ep-187","published_at":"2026-04-07T07:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805/tsukimono-possessed-by-an-animal-ep-187","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/PHTE1455424897.mp3?updated=1776732489","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/PHTE1455424897.mp3?updated=1776732489","summary":"What is tsukimono? In Japanese culture, it’s the unsettling idea of possession—when a human or animal spirit attaches itself to you and usually does harm. In this episode of Uncanny Japan, I explore animal possession: foxes, dogs, snakes, and even horses that cling to people for reasons both known and unknowable. What causes it? How can you tell if someone is possessed? And what happens when superstition crosses into real-world harm? I talk about real eerie (and sometimes silly) historical accounts to my own deeply personal experience. I also look at the strange, the supernatural, and the very human consequences of this fascinating belief. Perfect for listening while relaxing, walking, or drifting off to sleep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"What is tsukimono? In Japanese culture, it’s the unsettling idea of possession—when a human or animal spirit attaches itself to you and usually does harm.…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1863,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/uncanny-japan-53805/episodes/tsukimono-possessed-by-an-animal-ep-187/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/tsukimono-possessed-by-an-animal-ep-187.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}