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Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet
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Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet

Author: Tara A. Devlin

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Each week on “Kowabana: ‘True’ Japanese scary stories from around the internet,” horror author and translator Tara A. Devlin presents a selection of Japanese horror, creepypastas and urban legends translated from the deepest, darkest parts of the web. Creepy ghosts and vengeful onryo, cursed technology and haunted shrines. Discover horror like only Japan knows how to deliver. Brand new and exclusive stories translated each week. Find out more at http://www.kowabana.net/
213 Episodes
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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! Eight tales of horrifying encounters in the countryside. With so much space and so few people, what really lurks out there when you’re all alone? BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Spooky Spectres

Spooky Spectres

2025-08-2248:201

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! Eight horrifying, bizarre, and even moving tales featuring encounters from the other side. What do these spirits really want from us? BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Seaside Terrors

Seaside Terrors

2025-08-0844:241

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! Nine terrifying tales of the sea and what lurks in its deep, dark depths. But also a reminder that what lurks out there doesn’t necessarily always stay out there. Nowhere is safe… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! 10 tales that’ll make you question exploring the mountains… whether its day or night. When far from civilisation, how will you escape…? BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Tales from Okinawa

Tales from Okinawa

2025-07-1146:511

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! Take a trip to beautiful Okinawa for 10 terrifying tales you won’t soon forget. What lurks on Japan’s southernmost island? Come find out. BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! Six of my favourite lesser known stories from Kowabana’s history. Let’s take a trip back and remember some of the show’s more terrifying stories that you may have forgotten. BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! This week, we’re taking a trip to nine realities different (and yet perhaps scarily similar) to our own. Can you find your way back home? BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Tales from Hokkaido

Tales from Hokkaido

2025-05-3046:371

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! This week, we’re heading to Hokkaido for six terrifying tales from Japan’s northernmost island. What lurks in the freezing cold expanses of the north? Come find out… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! Cursed objects, weird items, and bizarre things about in these 8 terrifying stories from Japan! BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! Seven strange adventures with bizarre, cursed, and haunted items from a small pawn shop in the countryside of old Japan. BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! 11 terrifying encounters with Japanese ghosts you won’t soon forget. What lurks in our homes, on the streets, and even our holiday destinations? There is, quite frankly, no hiding from them… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Soncho

Soncho

2025-04-0401:01:401

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! A special story for our 200th episode! Two young boys discover a long hidden shrine with a dark secret hidden inside. What terrifying history does their village hide, and is it coming back to haunt them now? BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Scary School Stories

Scary School Stories

2025-03-2148:141

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! What lies in the empty classrooms, dark halls, and creepy toilets that seemingly haunt schools all around the country? Here’s 12 tales you won’t soon forget. BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Tales from Kanto

Tales from Kanto

2025-03-0750:342

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! This week, we’re heading to Kanto for 10 terrifying tales from Japan’s most populous region. What lurks in the dense concrete jungles and far flung mountains? Come find out… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
A Crescendo of Curses

A Crescendo of Curses

2025-02-2145:471

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! Eight terrifying curses straight out of Japan that will make you question just how safe you really think you are, and what lurks around every corner… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Tales from Chubu

Tales from Chubu

2025-02-0749:161

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! This week, we’re heading to Chubu for eight terrifying tales from central Japan. What lurks in the mountains that split the country in half? Come find out… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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! Step inside the haunted walls of various buildings and uncover what lurks in the walls, the shadows, and even the closets. Are we really as alone as we think? BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Tales from Kyushu

Tales from Kyushu

2025-01-1044:071

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! This week we’re heading to the island of Kyushu for 8 stories of terrifying ghosts, monsters, and sometimes even people… BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Warnings from the Inaka

Warnings from the Inaka

2024-12-2745:001

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! Ten tales from the countryside serving us warnings, wisdom, and a whole lot of chills when it comes to what lurks outside the reach of our big cities. BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
Tales from Shikoku

Tales from Shikoku

2024-12-1346:121

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! This week we’re heading to the island of Shikoku for a variety of ghosts and yokai of legend, as well as a few modern scares too. BGM thanks to Myuuji, Kevin MacLeod and CO.AG. Sound effects thanks to Free Sound and freeSFX. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Support Kowabana: 'True' Japanese scary stories from around the internet by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kowabana
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Comments (36)

Luna Ronin

The first proper story reminds me strongly of Talypo.

Jul 25th
Reply

Luna Ronin

You should be careful how you speak. While I'm absolutely certain you're saying "pawn shop," because of how you speak, it sounds like you're saying "porn shop." Caused a fair bit of confusion early on.

May 5th
Reply

April

woah..that stroke story. real life is so much scarier.

Feb 26th
Reply

Kate Thomas

Stopped listening to this one after the author decided to demonize mental health illness. I love the narrator and the podcast but this story was awful.

May 23rd
Reply

Kate Marshall

what anime?

Mar 17th
Reply

terry wk

Started listening to this and I got chills about the first story.

Aug 30th
Reply

Mert

This is the weirdest episode to half-listen to.

Sep 7th
Reply

palmtreepanik

oh my god the intro 💀

Aug 20th
Reply

April

Didn't like that first story. uninteresting and weirdly written.

Aug 13th
Reply

Moua

wow wtf

Feb 19th
Reply

April

Always enjoy these tales of terror.

Sep 11th
Reply

Bea Nelson

really good story!

Aug 28th
Reply

Yanwar Cakrasenjaya

Jan 28th is my birthday!!!

Aug 18th
Reply (1)

bismal hwasha

this is basically ghost Sherlock Holmes

Aug 3rd
Reply

Jeepster Peepster

I like to let these build up for a couple of months then I always revisit and binge. Great podcast :-)

Apr 4th
Reply

MrH2O

I love this podcast!!! Tara A. Devlin is an amazing storyteller.

Mar 10th
Reply

Tomin Harjo

why i can't download the episode

Feb 3rd
Reply

Hilde Teigset Marstein

That last story sounded a bit similar to the grudge.

Jan 17th
Reply

Yanwar Cakrasenjaya

Kowabana*

Jan 3rd
Reply

Yanwar Cakrasenjaya

This is my favorite. Iowa Ana is the best for japanese horror stories. I appreciate everything you are doing. Will be a patron soon!!!’

Jan 3rd
Reply