For the Japanese, summer is when the border between the real world and the spirit world becomes weak, and the legendary yōkai can walk among the living. The yōkai are a complex amalgamation of ...

Dandadan merges Japanese mythology with urban legends in a fresh way, blurring the lines between spirits, aliens, and yokai. Turbo Granny is inspired by Japan's cryptid lore and possesses ...

Japan warns of a catastrophic megaquake along the Nankai Trough, with the potential to trigger massive tsunamis, destroy infrastructure, and claim over 300,000 lives.

In Japanese folklore, the child-sized Kappa, or ‘river child’ occasionally jumps out of its watery lair to pull pranks, as well as attacking women. Some tales even claim the Kappa pulls people ...

In this episode of YOKAI: Exploring Japanese Folklore, we track down the legend of the ferocious Ushioni, a Yokai with the hulking body of a bull and an ogre-like face. In certain regions of Ehime ...

From the 15th to 19th Centuries, this southernmost prefecture of Japan formed most of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a thriving tributary state that flourished by building trade relations with neighbouring ...

River otters, or kawauso, play a major role in Japanese folklore as shapeshifters known for their mischievous and playful nature. This mythical otter is based on the Japanese river otter ...

The decoration often depicts characters from Japanese folklore or have some religious or symbolic meaning. This kite depicts Sasaki Takatsuna, a samurai commander in the Genpei War (1180-1185 CE).

In this episode of YOKAI: Exploring Hidden Japanese Folklore, we follow the cry of the Konakijiji, a Yokai that resembles an old man but with a voice like a weeping infant. It's said to lure ...