Akabeko — The Red Cow Born from Two Disasters: Earthquake and Plague
Akabeko, a folk toy from Yanaizu, Fukushima: the legend of cattle that helped rebuild a temple, and the smallpox-warding origin of its black spots.
Sokushinbutsu — The Monk Who Entered the Earth Alive at 96, in a Year of Famine
The self-mummified monk Shinnyokai Shōnin, enshrined at Dainichibo in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, entered the earth alive at 96 during the Tenmei famine.
Namahage — The Visiting Deity Long Mistaken for a Demon
Namahage of Akita's Oga Peninsula is not a demon but a visiting deity of good fortune. We record its true meaning as its practitioners keep dwindling.
Onikōbe — The Legend of a Place Name Born When a Slain Demon’s Head Flew There
Onikobe in Miyagi is named for a slain chieftain's head said to have flown there. We record the legend and its hell valley of hot springs.
Mount Osore and the Itako — The Misconception of a ‘Spirit-Channeling Mountain,’ and Its Vanishing Shamans
Known as 'the mountain of the itako,' Mount Osore actually has no direct link to them. We record its landscape and a vanishing shamanic tradition.
Oshira-sama — How a Tragic Love Between a Girl and a Horse Became a Household God
Oshira-sama, a household god of Tono, Iwate: a girl's tragic love for a horse became a myth of sericulture, per Yanagita's Legends of Tono.
The Okiku Doll of Mannen-ji Temple (Kurisawa, Iwamizawa)
Kept at Mannen-ji, Hokkaido since 1938 as a dead child's keepsake, the Okiku Doll is said to regrow its hair no matter how often it's cut.
Official Site Officially Underway
The official website for the Official Horror KARASU CHANNEL got its full start in September, after a full renewal that began in June. Latest videos, event news and exclusive content.