73-Japanese Folklore: I will find you
A young woman's father is taken, and she decided to go to the edges of the known world to get him back, to a faraway island harboring a dark and terrible secret.
57-Japanese Fairy Tales: Faithful
This week, there are two stories from Japanese folklore. The first has to do with a butterfly that just won't give up trying to land on the face of a dying man. The second is of a monk-in-training who just doesn't want to stop partying. The creature is Hedley Cow, and she will [...]
45-Rumpelstiltskin: Let’s Make a Deal
Three stories of people making deals. The first is from Japanese folklore, and it's about making the most of what you have...even when what you have is a dirty piece of straw and a fly friend. The second story is about a man who made a deal with the devil...and all the stupid (maybe brilliant?) decisions [...]
26-Japanese Fairy Tales: Wisdom
This week: two folktales from Japan. One is about a humble, happy stone cutter who becomes a power-mad, bitter stone cutter. The other is about, surprise surprise, supernatural occurrences at a Buddhist temple in a remote mountain region. The creature of the week is...or are...the blue men of the Minch. They are blue, men, and very, [...]
Member’s Episode 5-Japanese Folklore: The Inch-high Samurai
The story of a boy who leaves home, finds love, and becomes a samurai...all while being little more than one inch tall. In the creature of the month, you'll see why you shouldn't grow your hair out and dress nicely...especially if you are a security guard at a church. Music: "I need to start writing things [...]
Member’s Episode 2-Japanese Fairy Tales: Unintended Consequences
On the second Fairy Tale Friday episode, it's two stories from Japanese folklore. One is a super-adorable story about a monkey playing with a crab, which turns into a bloody revenge tale. The other involves a man in the forest who discovers a very powerful alternative to Rogaine. The creature of the week is a little [...]
14-Doppelgangers: Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night
People throughout history, before they died, have seen something...strange. They have seen ghostly doubles haunting their steps, foretelling their doom. These things are called doppelgängers, and while they mean something different now - basically someone that looks like you - their folklore origins are something far more ominous and sinister. This episode is about the shadowy [...]
The Story of Urashima Taro
This was one of the more comprehensive public domain versions I could find: Long, long ago in the province of Tango there lived on the shore of Japan in the little fishing village of Mizu-no-ye a young fisherman named Urashima Taro. His father had been a fisherman before him, and his skill had more than doubly [...]
11-Japanese Fairy Tales: Key Details (Urashima Taro, The Boy Who Drew Cats)
These are two stories from Japanese fairy tales. I don't want to ruin them, so I can't say too much, but they are amazing. One is about a boy who draws pictures of cats, much to the detriment of his job and a ridiculous amount of ancient books. The other story is about a kind fisherman [...]