Delving into the world of folklore as much as I have, I’ve come across a lot of very strange beliefs. While weird beliefs aren’t limited to Japan, not by a long shot, the Japanese certainly don’t disappoint when it comes to bizarre critters. I’ve often found myself wondering why and how so much weirdness came…
Tag: Japan
My Love/Hate Relationship With Tite Kubo’s Bleach
I don’t typically write about anime on here, as I don’t know a whole lot about it and frankly most of it just leaves me cold, if it isn’t just outright annoying. There are some that I like, however. When I came across Bleach one night on Adult Swim, it had me hooked from the…
Taijin Kyofusho–“The Disorder of Fear”
Recently, I came across an article about a culture bound syndrome called Grisis Siknis, the “crazy sickness” of the Miskito people of Nicaragua. This got me wondering if there were any culture bound syndromes specific to Japan. The interesting thing about these type of psychiatric disturbances is that in a very real sense they sum…
The Gashadokuro
Japan is home to some very strange spirits, to say the least. Not long ago I did a post about an odd breed of spirit that exclusively haunt Japan’s bathrooms. Last night I was poking around, looking for more Japanese ghouls and goblins when I came across the Gashadokuro (also known as the Odokuro). While…
Japan’s Ghosts–The Yurei
Several months ago, I did a post about Aokigahara, Japan’s suicide capital and a purportedly haunted forest. It is widely believed that the forest is haunted by Yurei, which are essentially Japan’s version of ghosts. These differ from the traditional Western style ghosts. On our side of the ocean, ghosts are ephemeral things that can…
Japan’s Forest of Ghosts–Aokigahara
Aokigahara lies at the foot of holy Mount Fuji in Japan. Also known as the Sea of Trees, it is a dense, dark forest, a place that has long been the focus of myth and legend. It is said that great deposits of iron lay underneath the Earth there, and that they play havoc with…