The Smile of the Mountain Witch: Minako Oba

For decades, writing by women was treated as its own separate genre in Japan, joryu bungaku. In today's episode, we’ll start with an explanation of why joryu bungaku became its own separate genre. We’ll move on to the story of women’s writing between the Meiji Era and the Pacific ...  Show more

In this episode, we examine the history of the Aum Affair and its lasting impact on Japanese fiction.We'll start out with the history of new religions in Japan, including Aum Shinrikyo. We'll take a look at Haruki Murakami's non-fiction book, Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and ...  Show more

Amidst Japan’s highest peaks, a kindly woman provides weary travelers with food and shelter — if they obey her rules. If they don’t, the Yamauba reveals the demon inside of her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

They say there's a witch in that valley and you'd do well to stay away from there. Join us as we journey back to the settling of the central plateau and witness the power of mountain women.CW: Religious fundamentalism, death of parents by illness and implied suicide, child abando ...  Show more

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! Get exclusive Japanese horror merchandise and join the Discord! Japan is covered in mountains, many of them sparsely populated. What really lives out there? And what should you do on the ...  Show more

In the wilderness of Japan something sinister stalks the unlucky travelers that stray too far from their paths. Very few survive their encounters with the deadly spellbinding snow witch of legend, Yuki-Onna! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices