Walking Feet, Leaping Thoughts

Series 1 explores the theme of "Kyoto’s Three Major Burial Sites." This single audio brings together all four episodes, from Part 1 through to the final episode, for continuous listening.

During the era when Kyoto served as Japan's capital, Toribeno, Adashino, and Rendaino functioned as sites for wind burial (*fūsō*).

On platforms like YouTube, these locations are often described in fearful terms—as "hellscapes" or "otherworlds." But is that perception accurate? Why were these specific places chosen for burial, and how did the people of the past perceive them? More importantly, what can they reveal about the traditional Japanese philosophy of life and death?

Starting from hands-on field observations, this series unfolds these questions by weaving together perspectives from geology, folklore, and modern philosophy.

**BGM**

* "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko

* "OP/ED Jingle 54" by t12ya

**About This Podcast**

* Scripts are reconstructed into narrative stories based on personal experiences and reflections by K. Kawashima.

* AI tools were utilized for research, scriptwriting, and audio generation.

#Kyoto #Japan #History #Culture #JapaneseCulture #Folklore #Geology #Philosophy #Podcast # Japan sightseeing #Japan folktales

Can pure spirituality and greedy human desire live in the same heart? The shocking, liberating conclusion to our season-long journey across Kyoto.

In the Series2 finale of Walking Feet, Leaping Thoughts, we reflect on the hidden landscapes of Mount Inari, Rasetsudani, and Yoshida Hill. Moving far beyond the cliché of minimalist wabi-sabi, we explore Fushimi Inari’s "harmonious chaos." Discover how raising a personal stone altar (Otsuka) is actually a profound act of surrender and humility. A brilliant, thought-provoking dialogue linking ancient Japanese traditions to our modern internet society.

Map: Follow along on Google Maps — https://maps.app.goo.gl/mmEXydeHTx7Eii6V7

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance.

Bypassing the crowded tourist gates, we scale Mount Inari’s secret back trails to uncover 1,000 years of layered spiritual history.Episode 3 takes you far beyond the postcard views of Fushimi Inari Taisha. Discover its ancient rock-worship roots (Iwakura) at the giant Mitsurugi-ishi, feel the icy spray at the Kiyotaki waterfall training ground, and gaze upon over 10,000 crowded stone altars. Learn how Mount Inari absorbed mountain ascetics, Buddhist rituals, and ordinary people's raw desires for prosperity. Dive into the deep, fascinating geology of faith on Walking Feet, Leaping Thoughts.

Map: Follow along on Google Maps — https://maps.app.goo.gl/mmEXydeHTx7Eii6V7

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance.

Two twin shrines in one valley: one an active waterfall training site, the other a haunting ruin overrun by collapsing torii. What separates the living from the abandoned?

Episode 2 ventures deep into Rasetsudani—Kyoto’s legendary "Demon Valley." Discover the chilling tension of walking between Goshanotaki, where sacred waterfall ascetics still pray, and the decaying stone altars of Otsubotaki. Tracing the historic upheaval of the Meiji-era separation of Shinto and Buddhism, Walking Feet, Leaping Thoughts investigates the exact moment a sacred site loses human hands and turns into a ruin.

Map: Follow along on Google Maps — https://maps.app.goo.gl/mmEXydeHTx7Eii6V7

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance.

"Something feels off here—I’m turning back." Step into Kyoto’s shadowy, forgotten stone ruins hidden right behind the tourist path.Guided by vivid field recordings and deep cultural insights, Episode 1 explores the unsettling field of abandoned personal stone altars (Otsuka) behind Takenaka Inari Shrine on Yoshida Hill. Tracing Kyoto’s Hanaore Fault line—a geological boundary between the living and the dead—we unravel the eerie memory of Edo-period dance frenzies and ask: what turns a desperate prayer into a silent ruin? Join Walking Feet, Leaping Thoughts for an extraordinary journey into Japan’s hidden spiritual landscape.

Map: Follow along on Google Maps — https://maps.app.goo.gl/mmEXydeHTx7Eii6V7

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance.

What if a place carries meaning not just in words or history, but in the earth beneath your feet?

In medieval Kyoto, three locations on the outskirts of the city served as funerary grounds—designated places where the dead were left to decompose. These sites are often portrayed online as "hell" or "otherworldly realms," filled with dark supernatural meaning.

But are these images accurate?

This series explores the real story. Through on-site fieldwork, geological observation, and the convergence of natural science, folklore studies, and contemporary philosophy, we uncover why these places were chosen, and what they reveal about how humans create sacred space.

Each episode is a walk. A physical journey through present-day Kyoto, where layers of history—from Jomon times to today—are embedded in the landscape. Listen while you walk. Discover that meaning isn't created by fear or imagination alone. It's written in the ground.

Over four episodes, we discover that the boundary between sacred and profane isn't arbitrary. It's written in geology, felt in ritual, and embedded in how humans understand their place in the world.

Best listened to: While walking the route shown on the map

Difficulty level: Intermediate (assumes basic interest in Japanese history and culture)

Map: Follow along on Google Maps —⁠⁠⁠https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mi7xuk41pECqJkjQ9⁠⁠⁠

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance

Keywords: Kyoto , Japan , travel , culture , geology , folklore , philosophy

What if a place carries meaning not just in words or history, but in the earth beneath your feet?

In medieval Kyoto, three locations on the outskirts of the city served as funerary grounds—designated places where the dead were left to decompose. These sites are often portrayed online as "hell" or "otherworldly realms," filled with dark supernatural meaning.

But are these images accurate?

This series explores the real story. Through on-site fieldwork, geological observation, and the convergence of natural science, folklore studies, and contemporary philosophy, we uncover why these places were chosen, and what they reveal about how humans create sacred space.

Each episode is a walk. A physical journey through present-day Kyoto, where layers of history—from Jomon times to today—are embedded in the landscape. Listen while you walk. Discover that meaning isn't created by fear or imagination alone. It's written in the ground.

Over four episodes, we discover that the boundary between sacred and profane isn't arbitrary. It's written in geology, felt in ritual, and embedded in how humans understand their place in the world.

Best listened to: While walking the route shown on the map

Difficulty level: Intermediate (assumes basic interest in Japanese history and culture)

Map: Follow along on Google Maps —⁠⁠https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mi7xuk41pECqJkjQ9⁠⁠

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance

Keywords: Kyoto , Japan , travel , culture , geology , folklore , philosophy

What if a place carries meaning not just in words or history, but in the earth beneath your feet?

In medieval Kyoto, three locations on the outskirts of the city served as funerary grounds—designated places where the dead were left to decompose. These sites are often portrayed online as "hell" or "otherworldly realms," filled with dark supernatural meaning.

But are these images accurate?

This series explores the real story. Through on-site fieldwork, geological observation, and the convergence of natural science, folklore studies, and contemporary philosophy, we uncover why these places were chosen, and what they reveal about how humans create sacred space.

Each episode is a walk. A physical journey through present-day Kyoto, where layers of history—from Jomon times to today—are embedded in the landscape. Listen while you walk. Discover that meaning isn't created by fear or imagination alone. It's written in the ground.

Over four episodes, we discover that the boundary between sacred and profane isn't arbitrary. It's written in geology, felt in ritual, and embedded in how humans understand their place in the world.

Best listened to: While walking the route shown on the map

Difficulty level: Intermediate (assumes basic interest in Japanese history and culture)

Map: Follow along on Google Maps —⁠https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mi7xuk41pECqJkjQ9⁠

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance.

Keywords: Kyoto , Japan , travel , culture , geology , folklore , philosophy

What if a place carries meaning not just in words or history, but in the earth beneath your feet?

In medieval Kyoto, three locations on the outskirts of the city served as funerary grounds—designated places where the dead were left to decompose. These sites are often portrayed online as "hell" or "otherworldly realms," filled with dark supernatural meaning.

But are these images accurate?

This series explores the real story. Through on-site fieldwork, geological observation, and the convergence of natural science, folklore studies, and contemporary philosophy, we uncover why these places were chosen, and what they reveal about how humans create sacred space.

Each episode is a walk. A physical journey through present-day Kyoto, where layers of history—from Jomon times to today—are embedded in the landscape. Listen while you walk. Discover that meaning isn't created by fear or imagination alone. It's written in the ground.

Over four episodes, we discover that the boundary between sacred and profane isn't arbitrary. It's written in geology, felt in ritual, and embedded in how humans understand their place in the world.

Best listened to: While walking the route shown on the map

Difficulty level: Intermediate (assumes basic interest in Japanese history and culture)

Map: Follow along on Google Maps —https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mi7xuk41pECqJkjQ9

Music:

• "Lazy Midnight" by Sachiko Kamaboko
• OP/ED Jingle by t12ya

About this podcast:The script is a narrative reconstruction based on fieldwork and reflection by K. Kawashima. Research, scriptwriting, and audio production utilized AI assistance.

Keywords: Kyoto , Japan , travel , culture , geology , folklore , philosophy