{"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":"Why the Year of the Fire Horse is Dreaded in Japan and Cursed Kimonos (Ep. 185)","slug":"why-the-year-of-the-fire-horse-is-dreaded-in-japan-and-cursed-kimonos-ep-185","published_at":"2026-02-16T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805/why-the-year-of-the-fire-horse-is-dreaded-in-japan-and-cursed-kimonos-ep-185","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/uncanny-japan-53805","url":"https://uncannyjapan.com/podcast/year-of-the-fire-horse/","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/PHTE6591338336.mp3?updated=1771231242","summary":"2026 is the year of the fire horse—a year that happens only once every 60 years. Across East Asia, it symbolizes transformation, intensity, and bold action. But in Japan? It's feared. Birth rates actually plummet during fire horse years because of a superstition that dates back to Edo-era Japan. What does a cursed kimono that burned down 70% of a city have to do with this? And why was a young girl named Oshichi burned at the stake in 1666? Come with me as I explore the tragic story behind this uniquely Japanese superstition, the Great Fire of Meireki that killed over 100,000 people, and what the saying \"if it burns down, we'll build again\" means for embracing change during difficult times. [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.com linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"2026 is the year of the fire horse—a year that happens only once every 60 years. Across East Asia, it symbolizes transformation, intensity, and bold actio…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":985,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/uncanny-japan-53805/episodes/why-the-year-of-the-fire-horse-is-dreaded-in-japan-and-cursed-kimonos-ep-185/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/why-the-year-of-the-fire-horse-is-dreaded-in-japan-and-cursed-kimonos-ep-185.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}