Tōdaiki: The Candlestick Demon & Tang Dynasty Diplomatic Horror (Ep. 171)

Think modern travel is stressful? At least you probably won't end up transformed into a living candlestick by dark magic. I've always been fascinated by stories about people who leave home and never come back. But what I'm about to tell you is worse than just disappearing. I'm sharing two incredible tales from Japan's most dangerous era of international travel. One involves a family's worst nightmare - finding their missing father transformed into something called the Candlestick Demon. The other features magical adventures and clever problem-solving that will make you smile. Both stories show what happened when brave envoys faced months-long journeys with no guarantee they'd ever make it home. Come with me as I explore these haunting tales of travel gone terrifyingly wrong. [Please Note: Some of the links are affiliate links (both Amazon and other). This means that at no cost to you, if you use and purchase through them I receive a small compensation. This is paid by the retailer. It also helps support me and my artistic endeavors. Thank you.] Follow Uncanny Japan Patreon Uncanny Japan Website Thersa Matsuura Website Books on Amazon YouTube Facebook Instagram Buy Me a Coffee (one-time contribution)

You can listen to Tōdaiki: The Candlestick Demon & Tang Dynasty Diplomatic Horror (Ep. 171) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Tōdaiki: The Candlestick Demon & Tang Dynasty Diplomatic Horror (Ep. 171) is an episode from Uncanny Japan - Folklore and Culture by SpectreVision Radio.

This episode is 22:02 long.

This episode was published on May 7, 2025.

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