I love all things Japan, and hope to visit someday. Meanwhile, this podcast offers the culture, ambience, history and humor I’m looking for. I highly recommend this podcast!

Love learning about so many aspects of Japanese folklore. A little difficult to hear in a few episodes here and there as there are often ambient/background sound, but I found that it works best on headphones in a quiet environment. Really immersive that way.

It was very illuminating

Fantastic podcast with many many interesting facts and information about the wonderfully darker corners of the awesomeness that is Japan! 🇯🇵👹🖤

This podcast is really good! It’s super cool to have more context on things in the story and the sound quality is good and I love how she has a little ambient background noise is my favorite thing! I’d love to hear her translate from scary stories from like Japanese scary story nights. I’d love to have longer episodes but I’ll listen as long as they’re releasing them ! :)

I absolutely adore this podcast, it’s one of the very few I’ve consistently listened to over the years. I really connect with Thersa’s storytelling style and enjoy being transported listening to her tales. The level of detail and references are appreciated, too. Can hardly wait for the next one

In the Daruma episode I loved those toys as a kid Ty for the reference at the end (P.S. if you could do an episode on Japanese dog or horse lore I’d appreciate it <3)

I’m an expat living and working as a contractor for the AirForce since late 2017. I can’t believe I hadn’t discovered your podcast until this weekend!! Your presentation and content is so wonderful— don’t ever change!! I’ll check out your Patreon page! So glad to meet you!

…And glad I did ! Your voice is extremely pleasant and the content is exactly what I was looking for. Found your book for sale also, can’t wait to read it. Steven can’t listen to podcasts and read at the same time..

I’ve introduced my Japanese god daughters to this program and thoroughly love it. The stories are scary but fun and the author/host senses genuinely nice. It helps me learn little phrases and stories I can share with them too!

I’ve been listening now for several years and just absolutely LOVE this podcast. Anyone interested in Japanese culture should take a listen! Very informative and very different. Just enjoy it so much!!

Since I started listening I feel like I got too watch how much the podcast has grown as well as the speaker I absolutely love this podcast

Between the intro and the personal updates about life/traveling in Japan there’s about 2-5 mins where the title topic is actually discussed.

Very soothing, educational and entertaining. Love this deep dive into Japanese culture. Not to mention just the right amount of Spooky.

I really enjoy listening. The content is always appealing and different. I look forward to each new episode, and also enjoy your soothing voice. Thank you for the entertainment! ♥️

I absolutely love this podcast. I am deeply interested in Japanese folklore and this has introduced me to things I never knew. Theresa is incredibly skilled at introducing topics in fun and engaging ways that will keep you coming back for more. Thank you so much for this wonderful podcast. Please keep them coming.すごく楽しいです！

I love this podcast. Just mesmerizing, thought provoking, educational. Brilliant.

Theresa Matsuura does an absolutely fantastic job with this podcast. A lot of these topics are very obscure risk being lost to time. The fact that she is taking the time to discover and preserve them is incredible. I'm a Spotify Android listener, but made an Apple account just so that I could leave her a review, if that tells you anything about how amazing this podcast is.

Theresa does a wonderful job of surfacing some of the most obscure folklore and presenting it in an entertaining and compelling way. I love the yokai stories and the spooky tales in particular. If you have any interest in Japanese culture, folklore in general, or just good storytelling, you’ll enjoy this podcast!

Love the stories, the rain, frogs and insects of Japan! Terri’s wit and charm burst out of my speaker. Love the dark side she shares. Thanks so much!

I’ve found that podcasts are the best way for someone like me to enjoy a good horror story. That being said, I struggle to find a good horror podcast. Out of desperation one day I started searching for “Japanese horror podcasts” hoping for something based on Japanese mythology and lore, and what do you know? This was one of the first things that popped up! I know it’s not strictly “horror stories”, but when I played the first episode I lost myself in the sounds of the ocean waves and Terrie’s soothing voice. I felt like I was listening to an old friend. Next thing I knew I was 40 episodes in and a new subscriber to her Patreon page. If you are looking for a podcast that takes you to Japan and teaches you about it’s interesting language, history and lore as well as some of its creepier tales, then you’ve found the right podcast!

A wonderful translation interpretation of old the Japanese tales… eloquently orated yet light heartedly set. Wonderful change of pace from a lot of my other podcasts. Thank you very much Theresa!

The creative styles of different counties especial this podcast. Unique folk tale and fairy tales.thank you for your research and sharing these wonderful stories.

I'm so glad my friend recommended this podcast. It's been a year now and I still look forward to each new episode. At the beginning, catching up on all the old episodes spoiled me, because I binge a few episodes at a time... now I must suffer through an arduous 2 weeks between episodes. I was fortunate to have visited Japan 3 times and this podcast fuels my desire to return again once Japan's borders open.

I recently discovered this podcast and can't help but binge it while commuting by train or simply walking to and from the store. The episodes are short but packed with information, and the host is both articulate and knowledgable (and has a perfect "radio" voice!). I look forward to new episodes every two weeks!

What happened to the transcripts? I could see them earlier today but now they are gone. Could you re-add the transcripts? I love Japanese culture, especially the folklore, superstitions and everything this podcast covers. Your episode descriptions are sometimes a little hard to read all the way through because of the way it’s written. You repeat parts of sentences and sometimes leave out key words. I feel like I’m back in Latin and Spanish class reading a disorganized translated sentence. Other than that I real really really love it! Don’t stop making episodes!! lol039 what does that translate to? Do you or anyone else listening to this show know of any podcasts that cover the Deities of Japan? Like Izanami, Izanagi, Amaterasu and Susanoo and their descendants? I’m really into that right now as well. Thanks.

Super interesting topics and really relaxing to listen to. I love when there are nature sounds in the background too!

Read the title

I love this. My best friend is from Japan, and he is a history geek. I wanted to get to know him more by playing along with him, and this was the perfect tool. Thank you sooo much!

I’m sorry I discovered this beautiful pod over 3 years after it started, but I’m greatly looking forward to going back and listening to every episode. The host is articulate and endlessly rich with fascinating information, stories, folklore and traditions I’ve never heard before. The later episodes have arguably better production but the early episodes are just as wonderful in my opinion. The host’s voice is wonderfully soothing in an ASMR way. Can’t recommend it enough.

Fascinating!

I’m planning a trip to Japan in May 2021 and decided to look for podcasts about Japan. This one is a gem with a total of 60 episodes, most under 15 minutes with Theresa Matsuura, a writer of stories who lives in Japan...sharing Japanese customs and folklore. She has a melodious voice and there is lovely background music too. Even if you’re not going to Japan,these short episodes are the perfect antidote to COVID-19 news or US politics. Enjoy and please vote if you’re a US citizen. Be well!

When I was looking for a Japanese history themed podcast specifically hosted by a woman, I thought my options were slim. But when I stumbled upon uncanny Japan, I got more than i could have ever hoped for. Thersa’s voice is so calming and pleasant, combined with incredibly interesting stories, told with excitement you can feel. Its just truly my favorite podcast to listen to. Thersa is a credible source, telling stories with personal experience thrown in. You really cant explain how perfect this pod is. A million out of ten stars.

This is truly one of my favorites. Thersa Matsuura has such a nice voice. I love how we get to hear the background sounds of Japan for the ambience of urban legends, or religious thought, or sometimes just creepy stuff. I learn something new every listen right before bed!

I love this podcast. The ambient sounds on every episode, the ominous music of the intro. Being fascinated with Japan and its culture most of my life, I found this podcast refreshing and right a long the lines of what I was looking for. Ms. Matsuura really helps engage the listener where you are hanging on to every word in the stories. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys spooky stories or curious about tall tales and legends of Japan.

This is the best episode in a really fantastic podcast full of good episodes. A heartwarming story of a lonely woman and the oni children she lives with. I highly recommend this podcast for anyone who is interested in Japanese culture.

Thank you Thersa for your stories. This podcast is so peaceful and entertaining and I love telling people about it whenever I get the opportunity. I can’t wait to read her books that are currently on the way in the mail.

I am in a mood for all things Japanese since we are traveling there for my first time this spring. This podcast has been delightful. I’m glad that I found it only recently because I can binge listen to my heart’s content. I also purchased her book The Carp-faced Boy for my kindle, and those stories are so wonderfully unnerving! I love the author’s style.

High production value and haunting storytelling helps shed light onto Japanese folklore. Teresa is clear, concise and highlights stories that might otherwise never be heard by Western ears. Highly recommend!

I was never one to really get into podcasts until I tried my hand at this one. I recently renewed my interest into Japanese culture and always found it fascinating to hear about cultural quirks and folklore. This podcast delivered just that and more! I absolutely ADORE the beautiful soundscapes in the background and Thersa has a very calming and captivating voice. The content brushes up on some folklore I’ve heard a little of while others were completely knew. Even if I had heard of it before, it was cool to learn new things about the topic. I also really like the bed time stories too. Definitely recommend giving this podcast a listen if you love Japanese fairytales. Now it’s my favorite podcast :)

I came upon “Uncanny Japan” while in a nostalgic mood for my college days studying abroad in that country, and am so glad that I did! The myths, legends and cultural anecdotes covered by this podcast are deeply fascinating, well researched and marvelously presented by an author whose knowledge and personal interest in the subject matter are clearly evident. Her calm speaking voice and use of atmospheric background audio are also enjoyable and notable among other podcasts I've listened and subscribed to. I would heartily recommend “Uncanny Japan” to anyone with an interest in fine folklore and frights.

I love your style of storytelling and describing the visual elements of the stories you’ve shared. Happy to subscribe 🌸🤗

This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in Japanese history, culture, or folklore in general. The host takes time to craft each episode and it shows. She regularly features background noises (cicadas, night winds, running water) that create a unique atmosphere for each topic. It feels like you’re right there with her: on an empty street, or in the woods at night, or next to an old shrine. The episodes range from creepy to funny, include topics from hundreds of years ago to the present day, and never fail to satisfy. This is easily my favorite podcast to listen to in the autumn, but it’s also great year-round. Give it a listen! You won’t be disappointed.

My cousin told me about this podcast, and I’m so thankful she did. I love learning this unique information about Japan. Being Japanese myself, I feel a comfort hearing these old wives tales. Making a trip to Japan is on my bucket list, so the episodes where Teri talks about the customs and her experiences in Japan are very helpful. For those who aren’t Japanese, you will find these stories really cool. Some of these stories have a dark side but those are the BEST ones. If you have interest in Japanese scary stories subscribe to this podcast, you won’t regret it.

I love how Theresa goes through different beliefs and/or folklores. Each episode is entertaining, short, concise, and well researched.

This is great I learned so much about Japanese lore can’t compliment this podcast with words!!!

Matsura-san is amazing in her knowledge of the Japanese language, culture and mythology. I lived six years in Japan and learned much during my immersive experience, but I keep gaining more insight from Matsura! I loved her podcast on the cicadas and also found the podcast on the "one" (monster) app that many mothers are using to manipulate their kids very informative (though sad). Theresa, do you have any podcasts or stories on crows and the mythology or view of them?

I think most podcasts I listen to can use a bit of cutitng down. Uncanny Japan almost always leaves me wanting at least a few more minutes! Japan is rich in the weird and this cast delivers it every month. By turns scary, creepy, and slyly funny, by all means, listen to this one!

Definitely give this podcast a listen! I can honestly say I learn something new in every episode and each episode is very fun and interesting.

I love listening to Uncanny Japan before I go to sleep. Every episode is very interesting. Theresa’s soothing voice and background noise makes you like you’re in the countryside of japan hearing these stories for yourself. I definitely recommend Uncanny Japan for anyone who’s interested in Japan, very interesting stories, or culture.