Lafcadio Hearn—The Master of the Japanese Gho...

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

In this episode, we're taking a look at Yasunari Kawabata's life and work.As we tell his story, we'll ask ourselves two big questions. Is Kawabata really a traditionalist? And what is up with the way he writes about adolescent girls?cw: author suicide, problematic imagery about a ...  Show more

From Greek-Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn comes the Japanese story of a blind priest with a talent for music. When a mysterious samurai asks him to perform for a high-ranking noble, the priest is eager to accept… and unwittingly falls into a supernatural trap. Learn more about your ...  Show more

Two stories from Japan about the stories we tell one another. On the first, it's a not-so-famous musician who gets a massive new audience for the legend he has been telling. For the second, it's a man who needs to do his duty...which means doing something terrible to someone he l ...  Show more

Japan is no stranger to rich folklore on various mythical beasts and urban legends, and not all of these stories are pleasant. Some tell of horrifying creatures. Others, about tyrannical demons. Join us today as we investigate the terrors in Japan. First, we'll take a voyage acro ...  Show more

It's October, the perfect month to celebrate the master of mystery and the macabre. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Richard Kopley about his book Edgar Allan Poe: A Life, a comprehensive critical biography that combines a narrative of Poe's enduring challenges (including h ...  Show more