Bon Odori: Dancing with the Dead (Ep. 58)

Not all Japanese revenge ghosts are wronged women. Meet Kohada Koheiji: a failed Edo-period actor who became famous for playing ghosts, only to be murdered, drowned, and returned as the very thing he once performed. In this episode, we explore the tangled history of the “real” Ko ...  Show more

In this episode of Uncanny Japan, we follow Benzaiten — also known as Benten — from her origins as Saraswati to her place among Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. Along the way: Enoshima’s five-headed dragon, white snakes as divine messengers, snake-skin wallets, house snakes, and Ugajin, ...  Show more

Harry Houdini was an American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician Robert-Houdin. Truly though his story is wild and with many twists and turns. Travel to Japan With Me her ...  Show more

In episode 141, the girls are joined by comedian Atsuko Okatsuka to talk about her experience immigrating to America and living as an undocumented immigrant, finding her way into comedy, dancing with her grandmother, and so much more!! Follow her at @AtsukoComedy on Twitter and I ...  Show more

Back to the land of fairy tales this week with another great story by Yei Theodora Osaki. 

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The Conclusion of the "Story of Hong Gildong" takes us from the household drama of last episode to a story that spans the entirety of the Korean peninsula, with Gildong earning his title of the Korean Robin Hood. It then moves beyond Korea to mythical lands, where Gildong battles ...  Show more