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Toshiden: Exploring Japanese Urban Legends

by Tara A. Devlin

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Latest episodes

Manager of Time & Space

January 16, 2026 · 16 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! This guy (or gal) is said to send people back to the correct time and space when they find themselves somewhere they shouldn’t be, but who…
The Curse of Taira no Masakado’s Grave

January 2, 2026 · 11 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! This historical grave still stands today in the heart of Tokyo, but why has it never been moved? What happens when people try? BGM thanks to…
Peko-chan’s Horrifying Truth

December 19, 2025 · 11 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! Some legends claim this famous and beloved mascot has a horrifying truth hidden in her origins, but what’s really going on here? BGM thanks to…
Square

December 5, 2025 · 14 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! If you play this game you might suddenly find an extra person in your midst, but how did the idea for this game really come about, and what on…
Cursed Mask

November 21, 2025 · 14 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! This mask is said to be one of the most dangerous masks in all existence, but what is it, where did it come from, and what will happen if you…

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Ganbo Rock Calendar

November 7, 2025 · 10 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! This calendar was said to be so cursed that it was recalled en masse, never to be seen again. But did it really exist, and why was it cursed in…
Tachibana Ayumi

October 24, 2025 · 12 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! This chain mail was all the rage in the early 2000s, but how did it come about, was there any truth to it, and how did it become the “standard”…
Kokeshi Dolls

October 10, 2025 · 12 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! These days, kokeshi dolls have numerous urban legends associated with them, but how did this simple children’s toy garner such a dark and…
Destruction of the Honma Family

September 26, 2025 · 12 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! According to legend, this entire family was wiped out because of a bloody picture hidden in their house, but how much truth, if any, was there…
Sacchan

September 12, 2025 · 12 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! What is the true meaning behind this beloved nursery rhyme? Is there really a secret verse? And will she really come for you once you hear…
Online Transmission

July 9, 2021 · 9 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! Be careful what you wish for. It’s said that words have power. What if urban legends have that same power? What if you created an urban legend…
Nail Marks

June 25, 2021 · 9 min

Episode Notes Join our Patreon for early access and bonus episodes and help support the show! A girl trapped in a school basement over the holidays. The janitor returns to find her corpse and nail marks on the back of the door from her…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

Toshiden is a biweekly show in which horror author and translator Tara A. Devlin explores various urban legends from Japan. From Kuchisake-onna's long history to the hidden meaning behind convenience store toilet signs, we explore it all and look at how they came about and why they became a legend in the first place.