Supernatural Japan

Could a mysterious big cat be hiding in Japan’s subtropical forests? In this Supernatural Japan mini-episode, host Kevin O’Shea explores Yamapikaryā, the mystery cat of Iriomote Island in Okinawa. Discover the real, endangered Iriomote cat and the unconfirmed accounts of a larger, long-tailed feline sharing its jungle home. Explore the island’s geography, local animal names, tourism mascots, and conservation challenges, alongside comparisons with Britain’s Beast of Bodmin Moor, the Beast of Exmoor, and Tasmania’s thylacine. Join Kevin for a journey through Japanese cryptid legends, rare wildlife, and the intriguing boundary between documented animals and unexplained sightings. Website: supernaturaljapan.com (Sign up for our FREE newsletter) Instagram: @supernaturaljapan BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon  Connect with Supernatural Japan: Instagram: @supernaturaljapan Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan BlueSky: @MadForMaple X: @MadForMaple YouTube: @BusanKevin Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover five of Tokyo’s most famously haunted places in this episode of Supernatural Japan (Originally an episode of Japan Ghost Stories for Patreon). From the vanishing taxi passengers of Aoyama Cemetery and the eerie Sendagaya Tunnel to Oiwa Inari Tamiya Shrine, Sunshine City’s dark prison history, and the legendary curse of Taira no Masakado’s head mound, we explore the history and ghost lore behind locations you can legally visit. Join Kevin for a countdown through haunted Tokyo, where Japanese folklore, vengeful spirits, and unsettling urban legends linger beneath the modern city. The perfect guide for anyone celebrating "Spooky Season" and Halloween in the world's biggest city! Website: supernaturaljapan.com (Sign up for our FREE newsletter) Instagram: @supernaturaljapan BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon  Connect with Supernatural Japan: Instagram: @supernaturaljapan Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan BlueSky: @MadForMaple X: @MadForMaple YouTube: @BusanKevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japanese ghost stories, haunted places, and the mysteries of Japanese folklore take centre stage in this episode of Supernatural Japan. Host Kevin O’Shea chats with Osaka-based creator Darren Vickers, the storyteller behind the YouTube channel and podcast Did I Wake You? Stories from 3 a.m. We explore his approach to telling eerie stories from Japan, from the ancestral spirits and rituals of Obon to accounts of ghostly encounters following the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Darren’s work also explores Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Shrine, tragic events at Japanese train stations, and the haunting stories associated with these locations. Join us for a conversation about Japan’s supernatural traditions, the relationship between memory and ghost stories, and the history behind some of the country’s most unsettling tales. Discover more of Darren’s stories and subscribe to Did I Wake You? Stories from 3 a.m. on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DidIWakeYou3AM Website: supernaturaljapan.com (Sign up for our FREE newsletter) Instagram: @supernaturaljapan BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon  Connect with Supernatural Japan: Instagram: @supernaturaljapan Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan BlueSky: @MadForMaple X: @MadForMaple YouTube: @BusanKevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you woke up in your own bedroom, unable to move, with someone standing beside your bed? In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore kanashibari, the Japanese name for sleep paralysis. From shadowy figures and footsteps to the terrifying weight on your chest, we look at why the experience feels so real, how REM sleep helps explain it, and why it has become part of Japanese ghost stories. Is the figure beside the futon a yūrei, or a dream that followed you into waking life? Website: supernaturaljapan.com (Sign up for our FREE newsletter) Instagram: @supernaturaljapan BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon  Connect with Supernatural Japan: Instagram: @supernaturaljapan Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan BlueSky: @MadForMaple X: @MadForMaple YouTube: @BusanKevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the podcast, host Kevin O’Shea joins Phillip Jackson to share some tales of haunted places and ghostly stories from around Kansai. Learn about the legend of the slain samurai, Taira no Atsumori, who died on Suma Beach in Kobe. His head remains at the nearby Suma Temple, and his ghost is said to roam the nearby beach. Phillip shares a tale of a ghostly apparition of a samurai and a woman in white appearing in Kyoto's Kazan Tunnel. Philip also discusses Kimon Demon Gates in Japan as well as the ghosts of the Momoyama Castle town pleasure district. This episode features lots of ghosts and haunted tales from Japan.  A perfect episode for those who love dark history and want some eerie tales for Spooky Season. Find all of Philip’s work and arrange a tour with him: https://www.hiddenpathskyoto.com/ Website: supernaturaljapan.com (Sign up for our FREE newsletter) Instagram: @supernaturaljapan BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon  Connect with Supernatural Japan: Instagram: @supernaturaljapan Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan BlueSky: @MadForMaple X: @MadForMaple YouTube: @BusanKevin Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices