Japanology Plus Season 2019 Episode 10 - Oni: Japanese Ogres

Airdate: 2019-Apr-16

Episode summary:

Oni -- Japanese ogres -- appear to be halfway between humans and beasts, with animal horns and scowling expressions. They come from ancient folklore, but are a big part of modern Japanese society, both through stories, and seasonal events like Setsubun. Many are feared, but others are respected as deities who can control natural phenomena such as wind and lightning. Our main guest is Kazuhiko Komatsu, a leading folklore researcher. He tells us why Oni are more than just terrifying monsters.

About Japanology Plus series:

Going a step further from our previous series BEGIN Japanology, host Peter Barakan visits experts in various fields to show Japanese culture from a...Show more >