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Tag - supernatural

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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SUPERNATURAL

<i>Y¨­kai</I> emerged in the cultural imagination when Japanese people gave ¡°names and forms to what they could not explain¡± and continue to be portrayed in the popular media of every era.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 18, 2026
Immersive exhibition brings Japanese folk monsters to life
A digital spectacle of supernatural creatures entertains and educates at the ¡°Yokai Immersive Experience Exhibition¡± in Shinagawa Ward.
Dragons feature prominently in Japanese folklore, though tracing their physical steps through the countryside requires some rural excursions.
LIFE / Travel
Nov 29, 2025
Chasing dragons across the temples of Nara
In two rural prefectures, dragon myths ¡ª and a cave that purports to host some ¡ª make for a unique way to explore the Japanese countryside.
¡°The Summer Hikaru Died¡± is a slow-burn horror and a coming-of-age narrative, but its thematic layers and queer undertones open conversations about friendship and belonging.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Sep 6, 2025
Dark folklore meets teenage angst in ¡®The Summer Hikaru Died¡¯
Slow-burn horror in the countryside coupled with queer undertones makes for a memorable anime adaptation.
A preview of the "Yokai Immersive Experience Exhibition" on Friday in the city of Nagoya
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 22, 2025
Get your summer chills in at ²â¨­°ì²¹¾± exhibition in Nagoya
The main attraction of the exhibition is a room themed on a wild dance of such supernatural creatures, with moving images of them filling the room¡¯s walls, ceiling and floor.
Japan has a deep rogues' gallery of age-old "²â¨­°ì²¹¾±" (spirits), but a museum on the island of Shodoshima has released a new book collecting ²â¨­°ì²¹¾± that reflect the uncertainties of the modern world.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 14, 2025
¡®Rice swindler,¡¯ ¡®Face thief¡¯: Worried citizens invent new monsters
A decade-old contest for original ¡°²â¨­°ì²¹¾±¡± art reflects what keeps people up at night in Japan.
In Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, an entire street is dedicated to Japanese spirits, monsters and ghouls ¡ª a sign that the overall region is rich in spine-tingling tourist draws.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 22, 2025
Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms
The two prefectures are leaning on spooky folklore to draw more travelers.
Students from Agatsuma¡¯s butoh workshop, also part of Sumi-Yume, will be joining her and professional butoh dancer Tomoshi Shioya for this weekend¡¯s shows.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 8, 2024
Butoh dances to the sounds of Hokusai¡¯s hometown
Performances of the avant-garde dance form are part of a program dedicated to the revered artist and celebrating the local community in Sumida Ward.
Located in the Otemachi neighborhood, the 'skull mound' of Taira no Masakado is said to be the source of ills and misfortunes of any who would disturb the site.
LIFE / Travel
Oct 26, 2024
Take a Halloween stroll through Tokyo¡¯s dark history
Tokyo has no shortage of creepy places to check out this Halloween, and the good news is that many are conveniently accessible.
A city as rich in history as Kyoto has accumulated plenty of hair-raising tales perfect for your Halloween perusal.
LIFE / Travel
Oct 26, 2024
Japan¡¯s ancient capital houses a millennium of ghosts
August is the traditional period in Japan when the worlds of the living and the dead overlap, but who¡¯s to say spirits don¡¯t make an exception for Halloween?
For centuries, Japanese people have been scaring themselves with horror stories as a way of cooling down during the stifling summer months.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 16, 2024
New tales in translation to give you chills and thrills this summer
Recent fright-filled releases with supernatural creatures, shrewd sleuths and creepy killers provide welcome relief from the sweltering heat.
A boy skateboards past Yanaka Cemetery in Tokyo¡¯s Taito Ward. A perfectly peaceful spot the rest of the year, it becomes a place children may test their courage during the Bon holidays.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 8, 2024
Japanese cities turn into ghost towns during the Bon holiday period
As people return to their hometowns to pay their respects to their ancestors, children may try to test their nerves with a ¡°kimodameshi.¡±
Whether you get your goosebumps from horror movies, the dark or even historical battle sites, there are lots of ways to express fear in Japanese.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 31, 2024
Using intransitive verbs to make Japanese ghost stories extra spooky
Since intransitive verbs don¡¯t need to take a subject, they are best at describing things that happen of their own accord.
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagy¨­" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 17, 2024
Kyoto¡¯s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
Held this year on April 20, an ancient Kyoto monster march has overcome obstacles to continue going bump in the night.
Abe no Seimei (Kento Yamazaki), an apprentice at a school of mystic arts, gets wrapped up in a murder investigation in ¡°The Yin Yang Master Zero.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Apr 4, 2024
¡®The Yin Yang Master Zero¡¯: Imaginative action film casts a dazzling spell
Shimako Sato¡¯s VFX-heavy, big-budget fantasy about practitioners of mystic arts goes beyond the genre standard.
A serviceman, wearing prosthetic legs, walks past Ukrainian flags symbolizing fallen soldiers on the Independence Square in Kyiv, on Oct. 30.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 2, 2023
¡®When will it end?¡¯: Ukrainians turn to psychics for war forecasts
Military forecasts by Ukraine¡¯s most popular soothsayers rack up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and TikTok.
The classic Japanese ghost story often features a vengeful female ghost.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 12, 2023
[Rebroadcast] Japan¡¯s got ghosts
This week we discuss a few horror movies before ¡°Uncanny Japan¡± podcast host Thersa Matsuura tells a classic Japanese ghost story.
A performer going by the name ¡°Tanefukube¡± leads shishi-odori dancers during Tono Meguritoroge¡¯s grand finale at Rokko-shi shrine.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 30, 2023
Dancing with ghosts at Tono¡¯s rural folk festival
The Tono region is Japan¡¯s go-to setting of scary stories to tell in the dark.
Japan Times
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / History / 51³Ô¹ÏÍø TIMES GONE BY
Jun 3, 2023
Japan Times 1923: This may be a true story, but again, it mayn¡¯t
Some mysterious behavior from a jar of ashes 100 years ago makes the front page of The Japan Times. Then, 25 years ago, a conference believes newsprint will win out over the internet.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 7, 2023
¡®Japanese Yokai and Other Supernatural Beings¡¯: Ghosts and ghouls in all their macabre glory
Ukiyo-e expert Andreas Marks digs deep into the folklore of Japan¡¯s most terrifying creatures, detailing 100 supernatural beings with lavish illustrations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 22, 2023
A Japanese island where the wild things are
From badgering nuisances to downright evil forces, ²â¨­°ì²¹¾± fill some of the most colorful corners of Japanese folklore. These artists are dreaming up even more.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse&#039;s brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo&#039;s Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan&#039;s relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces&#039; Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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