Supernatural Japan

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

Discover the dark history and ghost stories of Suzugamori Execution Ground, one of Tokyo’s most infamous former execution sites. Located in Shinagawa along the old Tōkaidō road, Suzugamori was once a place of crucifixion, burning, beheading, and public punishment during the Edo period. In this mini episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore the chilling legend of the head-washing well, the tragic story of Yaoya Oshichi, reports of shadowy figures and unexplained voices, and the site’s modern reputation as a haunted shinrei spot. From samurai-era executions to eerie paranormal legends, Suzugamori is a haunting reminder that beneath modern Tokyo lies a much darker past.

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

Kevin is joined by regular Supernatural Japan podcast contributor Phillip Jackson to explore the latest paranormal news in Asia, plus stories about U.S. Marines and a very haunted firebase. Did a Chinese paranormal influencer seal her own fate? They also answer a listener question about the most eerie places they've visited in Japan. You can also learn about supernatural spots they've visited outside Japan and more!

Find Phillip’s work: https://www.hiddenpathskyoto.com/

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content and Ad-free Episodes!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Tales from Kevin (my expat diary podcast)

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

Explore the haunted history of Shakujii Park in Nerima, Tokyo, where the ruins of a medieval samurai castle overlook the dark waters of Sanpōji Pond. According to legend, after Shakujii Castle fell in 1477, defeated lord Toshima Yasutsune rode his horse—and its magnificent golden saddle—into the pond, while his grieving daughter, Princess Teruhime, followed him to a watery death. Today, visitors report eerie splashing, strange sensations, and sightings of a pale woman near the water. Discover the history of the Toshima clan, the legend of the sunken treasure, and the ghost said to haunt one of Tokyo’s most atmospheric parks.

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

Step beneath the autumn moon and discover the eerie folklore behind Tsukimi, Japan’s traditional moon-viewing festival. In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore the festival’s ancient origins, offerings of tsukimi dango and pampas grass, the mischievous custom of Otsukimi Dorobō, and the rabbits said to live on the moon. We also examine how modern Japan celebrates with seasonal treats—including McDonald’s famous egg-topped Tsukimi burgers—while uncovering the supernatural beliefs and ghostly atmosphere surrounding the harvest moon.

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 the dark folklore surrounding higanbana, Japan’s striking red spider lily known as the “flower of death.” In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore its connection to cemeteries, the autumn equinox, Buddhist beliefs about the “other shore,” poisonous bulbs, and chilling superstitions warning people never to pick the flowers or bring them home. We also uncover the unsettling legend of a missing child who returned carrying an armful of higanbana—and learn why this mysterious flower can symbolize death, remembrance, fox spirits, and even heaven.

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

Dive into Japan’s most terrifying maritime legend with Supernatural Japan as Kevin O’Shea confronts the Funayūrei (Funayurei)—vengeful drowned spirits, haunted ghost ships, and deadly sea demons said to drag sailors into the abyss. Uncover the chilling truth behind their impossible demands for a ladle, the bottomless hishaku that could save your crew, and the fog, storms, cursed waterways, and Obon nights when these supernatural encounters strike. Explore regional Japanese ghost stories, the terrifying Umibōzu, the legendary Noh play Funa Benkei, and the shocking parallels between Japan’s haunted seas and Eastern Canada’s phantom ships. If you love Japanese folklore, true ghost stories, paranormal mysteries, yokai, haunted oceans, and unexplained supernatural encounters, this is one chilling voyage you won’t want to miss.

BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon 

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore haikyo—Japan’s abandoned places—in this episode of Supernatural Japan. From deserted hotels to forgotten schools, discover the history behind these ruins, the appeal of urban exploration, and why liminal spaces feel so unsettling. Host Kevin O’Shea examines how YouTube, social media, and ghost stories can turn an empty building into a supposedly haunted location. Learn why abandoned doesn’t mean haunted, alongside essential guidance on legal access, safety, and respectful exploration.

BECOME a Ghost by joining us on  @patreon 

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

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