Supernatural Japan

Far out in the Philippine Sea lies Hachijōjima—a remote island once used to exile disgraced nobles and powerful figures. In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore its dark history, from the legendary banishment of Minamoto no Tametomo to eerie modern hauntings. At the abandoned Hachijō Royal Hotel, ghostly encounters and unsettling stories linger. Why do the spirits of the exiled still haunt this island? Discover the chilling folklore and paranormal mysteries of Japan’s Island of Exile.

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

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

Step into one of Tokyo’s darkest hidden histories in this chilling episode of Supernatural Japan, as we explore Jōkan-ji—infamously known as the “Throw-Away Temple.” Located in the historic Yoshiwara district, this unassuming temple holds the remains of thousands of women, many of them courtesans who lived and died in hardship, disease, and isolation during Japan’s Edo period. We uncover the haunting past of this sacred site, the tragic stories of the forgotten souls buried there, and the eerie ghost sightings that persist to this day. Blending true history, cultural context, and spine-tingling supernatural encounters, this episode reveals why Jōkan-ji is considered one of Japan’s most haunted locations—and why some spirits may never have truly left. Perfect for fans of Japanese folklore, dark history, and real-life hauntings, this is an episode you won’t forget.

BRAND NEW Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

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

In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore the eerie world of Japan’s haunted love motels. Learn the surprising history of Japanese love hotels, their rise during the economic Bubble era, and how some later became abandoned haikyo ruins. From the infamous Seline Love Motel in Nagano to the mysterious “haunted room” legend of the Akasaka Love Hotel, we uncover chilling urban legends, real crimes, and ghost stories connected to these secretive spaces. Why do abandoned love hotels attract paranormal tales and urban explorers? Step inside Japan’s most unusual haunted locations — if you dare.

BRAND NEW Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Listen to my (host Kevin O’Shea) expat life diary podcast, “Tales from Kevin”: @TalesFromKevin

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

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

In the 1970s, a quiet corner of rural Japan was shaken by a series of chilling murders. The killer struck on the same day each week, earning a terrifying nickname — the Wednesday Strangler. In this episode of Supernatural Japan, we explore a disturbing true crime case from Saga Prefecture, the investigation that gripped the nation, and the mysterious suspect at the center of it. Was the truth ever uncovered, or does the shadow of the Wednesday Strangler still linger in Japan’s forgotten countryside?

BRAND NEW Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

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

Send a text

British author, podcaster, and reverend Peter Laws joins this chilling episode of Supernatural Japan to discuss his fascinating career exploring the dark side of belief, horror, and the unexplained. Known for his book The Frighteners: Why We Love Monsters, Ghosts, Death & Gore, the Matt Hunter thriller series, his atmospheric YouTube channel Into the Fog with Peter Laws, and his appearances as part of Team Believer on the hit Uncanny podcast, Peter brings his unique perspective on the supernatural to the show. In this episode, he shares insights into his work in writing and podcasting and recounts a terrifying story about travelers who unknowingly book a haunted Airbnb in Kyoto filled with eerie dolls. If you love Japanese ghost stories, paranormal podcasts, and true creepy encounters in Japan, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Subscribe to: “Into the Fog With Peter Laws”: https://www.youtube.com/@IntoTheFog

BRAND NEW Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

Support the show

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

Send a text

Celebrate the 100th episode of Supernatural Japan as returning contributor Phillip Jackson shares chilling tales from Kyoto, diving into the eerie tradition of goryō worship—the vengeful spirits of wronged nobles. This episode explores the tragic story of Prince Sawara, brother of Emperor Kanmu, who was accused of an assassination plot, exiled to Awaji Island, and whose angry spirit was blamed for disasters in the ancient capital. Discover why ceremonies to appease these feared ghosts continue to this day, and don’t miss Kevin’s announcement of the brand-new Supernatural Japan Premium membership on Patreon for listeners who want even more supernatural content.

BRAND NEW Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Connect with Phil Jackson in Kyoto: https://www.hiddenpathskyoto.com/

Get lots of Premium and Exclusive Content!

Premium membership: @patreon 

Support on: @BuyMeACoffee

Connect with Supernatural Japan:

Website: supernaturaljapan.com

Instagram: @supernaturaljapan

Facebook: @SupernaturalJapan

BlueSky: @MadForMaple

X: @MadForMaple

YouTube: @BusanKevin

Support the show

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

Send a text

Dive into one of Kyoto’s darkest legends in this chilling episode of Supernatural Japan as we explore the haunted history of Nanzen-ji, where legendary outlaw Ishikawa Goemon was supposedly boiled alive after a failed assassination attempt on Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Was Goemon truly a Robin Hood–style hero or a criminal whose story grew in the telling? We separate history from folklore, examine the gruesome execution that shocked feudal Japan, and uncover the chilling ghost stories said to haunt Nanzen-ji’s peaceful temple grounds today—perfect for fans of Japanese history, haunted places, and dark folklore.

OUR NEW WEBSITE! https://supernaturaljapan.com/

Follow the podcast: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supernaturaljapan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/supernaturaljapan

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/madformaple.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/MadForMaple

Email: [email protected]

Tales from Kevin Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-kevin/id1767355563

Support the podcast (Help fund the creation of new episodes) https://buymeacoffee.com/busankevin

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusanKevin

Website: https://supernaturaljapan.com/

Support the show

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

Send a text

Discover the hidden folklore of Japan’s most mystical flora in this episode of Supernatural Japan, where we explore the ancient beliefs surrounding magical plants like bamboo, mugwort, sakura, cedar, wisteria, and foxglove, and uncover how these plants were once thought to ward off evil, attract spirits, grant protection, or even curse the living, blending Shinto traditions, Buddhist symbolism, and rural folk practices into a rich tapestry of supernatural history that reveals how deeply the natural world shaped Japan’s spiritual imagination and its enduring legends.

Follow the podcast: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supernaturaljapan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/supernaturaljapan

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/madformaple.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/MadForMaple

Email: [email protected]

Tales from Kevin Podcast (my weekly diary-style podcast):

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-kevin/id1767355563

Support the podcast (Help fund the creation of new episodes) https://buymeacoffee.com/busankevin

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusanKevin

Website: https://supernaturaljapan.buzzsprout.com

Support the show

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

Send a text

In this special crossover episode of Supernatural Japan, host Kevin O’Shea sits down with Brandon Schexnayder, creator and host of the acclaimed podcast Southern Gothic. Together, they explore chilling folklore, haunted history, and the dark truths behind some of the American South’s most unsettling legends. From ghost stories and urban myths to real-life tragedies, this interview dives deep into how history and horror intertwine—and why these stories continue to haunt us today. Perfect for fans of paranormal podcasts, true crime, and eerie historical storytelling.

Souther Gothic (Spotify) and (Apple Podcasts)

Follow the podcast: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supernaturaljapan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/supernaturaljapan

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/madformaple.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/MadForMaple

Email: [email protected]

Tales from Kevin Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-kevin/id1767355563

Support the podcast (Help fund the creation of new episodes) https://buymeacoffee.com/busankevin

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusanKevin

Website: https://supernaturaljapan.buzzsprout.com

Support the show

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

Send a text

Meet Japan’s most famous ghost in this chilling episode of Supernatural Japan, as we dive into the terrifying legend of Oiwa from Yotsuya Kaidan. Betrayed, poisoned, and murdered, Oiwa returns as a vengeful onryō, haunting her husband and driving him into madness. Explore the dark origins of this Edo-period ghost story, the real-world curses surrounding its stage and film adaptations, and why Oiwa remains one of the most powerful and feared spirits in Japanese folklore. From classic kabuki to modern J-horror, discover how the Legend of Oiwa continues to shape Japan’s obsession with ghosts, revenge, and the supernatural.

Follow the podcast: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supernaturaljapan

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/madformaple.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/MadForMaple

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/supernaturaljapan

Email: [email protected]

Tales from Kevin Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-kevin/id1767355563

Support the podcast (Help fund the creation of new episodes) https://buymeacoffee.com/busankevin

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusanKevin

Website: https://supernaturaljapan.buzzsprout.com

Support the show

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