The Mysterious Japan
Stories of Japan’s Dark History, Unbelievable Folklore, Ghost Stories, and Urban Legends.
Episodes
This episode presents the karmic fate that befell the evil owner of Hotel New Japan and the many ghost stories that came after the deadly fire.
Episode 18 recounts the harrowing true tales of firefighters as they attempt to put out the deadliest hotel fire in Japanese history at the cursed site of Hotel New Japan.
Hear stories full of daring escapes, bumbling employees untrained on procedures, and a fire jumping from room to room as it develops into the second most deadly fire in the history of Japan, resulting in 9 long hours of hell on earth for the 103 guests on the 9th and 10th Floors but incredible and unbelievable true stories.
Legends of a strange creature, ghosts, plots, murder, and a demon portal are explored at the sight where a deadly hotel fire would occur. Have these centuries of evil opened the gate at the spot where Shinto adherents believe there is a portal to hell?
This episode explores bizarre marriage and adoption practices and Japan's medieval obsession with flatulence. The cultural practice of marrying sisters and adopting mistresses is mystifying to the Western audience. And the medieval period showed bizarre practices concerning farts, from such shame that a public fart could mean ritual suicide to satirical fart battle scrolls, and the birth of the world's first professional flatulist.
...With centuries of tragedy and evil befalling its shores, many claim the island of Oshima and its volcano Mihara are cursed places of tatari. Authorities try desperately to stop people from throwing themselves in the volcano; hear some harrowing tales, and the story of a hero who saved thousands of lives. But also listen to the bizarre events that lend credence to the idea of a curse.
In 1933 Japan, lesbian relationships were taboo, and two young lovers fell victim to intolerance. After one throws herself into the lava filled crater of the Mihara volcano, others suffering discrimination, rejection, and forbidden love follow suit, but as the suicide count increases to four per day, over 1500 visitors each day visit in morbid curiosity, and businessmen exploit the plague of suicides at the so-called "Suicide Volca...
Once a penal colony, the remote island of Izu Oshima harbors legends of being a supernatural and cursed place. This episode examines three dark stories from the island's history and their development into ghastly legends of ghosts and monsters.
To the Japanese, Iwo Jima is hallowed ground where the remains of thousands of restless spirits dwell. This episode explores the ghost stories of Iwo Jima.
The true and amazing story of two holdouts who survived the attack on Iwo Jima but did not know the war had ended. This is the first time their story has been told in English.
Jukai has become the source of urban legends, dark folklore, and scary stories. This episode explores these dark tales, claimed by some to be true, but only you can be the judge of that.
This episode recounts tales of encounters with ghosts in Jukai. Though the witnesses claim these stories are true, listen and judge for yourself.
The heist of the century in Japan is retold. Over 300 million yen was stolen and never accounted for. An award winning author commits an act of unimaginable violence to pursue his extreme political ideals. These two stories may relate back to Jukai, and the millions may be hidden somewhere within.
This episode examines stories around the six most popular legends of Jukai: a Lake of Blood in Jukai, spirit monks, a hidden village of castouts, a cursed altar that will not let people leave, sounds and phantoms in the forest, and the story of the woman in the red dress. Some of these legends surprisingly have been proven true.
Stories of the types of people who go into the Suicide Forest searching for corpses, including the socially shunned "Corpse Maniacs," and the frightening tale of two men who go in looking for corpses but find something supernatural.
Rumors of curses and murder abound in the suicide forest. It is a perfect place for a perfect crime, and many of these rumors have been proven true. A journalist finds his life hanging by a thread at the hands of a murderer.
This episode examines stories showing the origins of Jukai becoming known as the "Suicide Forest," including tales of heroes seeking to intervene to prevent the suicides. As the sensitive topic of suicide is discussed, listener discretion is advised.
Buddhist ascetic monks mummified themselves alive to expel the evil from Jukai in a gruesome process, and a journalist seeks a hidden cult in the forest and finds more than he bargained for.
Stories examining the origins of Jukai (the "Suicide Forest")-- from a volcanic eruption burying 30,000 to tales of ghosts, mysterious screams, the Tengu yokai creature in the trees, and superstitions surrounding the forest.
Introduction to the Mysterious Japan Podcast: Exploring the compelling dark histories and strange mysteries of Japan in campfire tale format, prepared by an expert in Japan history and folklore.
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