myths

Kyoto’s demon manju is as big as the local legend that inspired it

Huge sweet celebrates the slaying of a sake-loving demon.

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Visit the mythical cave that hid the Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology

An unsual tourist site shrouded in intrigue and mystery.

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Mist descends upon Japan’s “Killing Stone” after ceremony to appease nine-tailed fox spirit

Does this mean the priest’s purification ritual has placated the beast? Or is it an omen of something else to come?

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Japan’s “killing stone” splits in two, possibly unleashing evil nine-tailed fox spirit

Ominous event has people fearing this is a harbinger of doom.

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Was Spirited Away based on a real-life tale?

Studio Ghibli film has eerie parallels with the story of a child who mysteriously went missing for seven days. 

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Heading to a Shinto shrine soon? You might not want to read these ghost stories before you go!

If you’re spending even a short amount of time in Japan, visiting at least one Buddhist temple and one Shinto shrine should definitely be on your list. It doesn’t matter too much which one you go to — they all tend to be lovely places with great atmospheres. Of course, some are bigger and fancier than others, and some just have better locations, like on top of mountains or in forests.

However, it turns out that, according to certain legends flying around on Twitter right now, you might want to be careful about which shrines you visit, or something spooky could be waiting for you…

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Is Japan’s “Daughter in a box” a myth?【Myth-Busters Series】

This is the first article in our brand new “Myth-Busters” series that attempts to provide definitive answers to readers’ questions about Japanese culture, language and concepts. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Is it really true that the Japanese…..?” then just ask us! We’ll let loose the RocketNews24 hound dogs to track down the answer.

Our first myth-busters topic, prompted by a question from a Canadian reader, is hakoirimusume (箱入り娘) or “Daughter in a box,” used to describe a girl who grows up protected by her family, as if being kept in a box. The term originated in the Edo Period (1603-1867), but do such shielded daughters still exist today?

Our hound dogs are on the trail! Results after the jump.

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