In ancient days there lived in a remote part of Japan a man and his wife, and they were blessed with a little girl, who was the pet and idol of her parents. On one occasion the man was called away on business in distant Kyoto. Before he went he told his daughter that if…
Category: Folklore and Urban Legends
Kappa – Dangerous, Vicious, yet Polite
The kappa is one of the most famous of Japan’s mythological creatures. It is sometimes called an imp in the West. This scaly water creature is a mix of a turtle, a monkey, and a frog. About the size of a child, the kappa is said to wait in water for a hapless victim to…
Onbashira, the deadly log-riding festival of Japan
When I first saw videos like the one posted above, I took it as a given that Japanese men would ride gigantic logs down steep slopes at the risk of death and maiming, because OF COURSE Japanese men would ride gigantic logs down steep slopes at the risk of death and maiming. Japan is pretty…
The Two Frogs: A Japanese Folktale
The video reads my own version of the story. Below is an older version. Once upon a time in the country of Japan there lived two frogs, one of whom made his home in a ditch near the town of Osaka, on the sea coast, while the other dwelt in a clear little stream which…
Kojiki and Amaterasu
Most of us know Amaterasu from various manga, anime, and video games. Amaterasu can be traced to the oldest chronicle in Japan, the Kojiki. Kojiki translates to “Record of Ancient Matters” and dates the the early 8th century. The book traces the lineage of the Emperors to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess and goddess of the…
Midoricon Coverage 2013 Part 2- Interview with Mr CreepyPasta
At Midoricon 2013, I got a chance to sit down with everyone’s favorite scary YouTuber, Mr. CreepyPasta. For those who don’t know, creepypastas are stories that are posted online and spread around. Mr. CreepyPasta has done and excellent job of bringing these stories to life by reading them on his channel, which a link will…