Every Obon, Japan’s ancestral spirits return home. They're guided by tiny fires and carried on cucumber horses🥒. This year, for the first time, I’m responsible for preparing my father-in-law’s family altar. So I'm getting my learn on. Join me in this episode for cauldron lids (in hell), ...

Meet my new buddy: Himekawa Yakuseki (Hime River Medicine Rock), a stone that is approximately SIXTY MILLION YEARS OLD 😮🙌🌟 Traditionally, they have been used for their soothing and medicinal properties...and, yes, there are trace amounts of radium and thorium in them!

Shrine shapes and spiderwebs. I took my camera for an early morning walk.

I've got the sexiest paper wasp (naga ashi bachi) that lives in my garden. Just one and she always comes out to say hi and do sexy fly-by when I water the plants.

Found in the wilds of Hokkaido! A movie poster for Kaidan Zangoku Monogatari ("Curse of the Blood" <--interesting translation). I thought it was Yotsuya Kaidan (Oiwa-san), but it's NOT! It's an adaption of Kasane ga Fuchi. This movie is as old as I am. I wonder if I can find it...

That day when you suddenly realize you don't have to keep sleeping curled up on one side of the bed anymore. Sleep big, my people. If it's possible, sleep big (大).

I took a photo of the full moon 🌕. In case you missed it, here's a delicious dose of "Awoooo~" energy. Do with it what you will ✨

Many years ago, I drove up into the mountains to look around and came across a guy on the side of the road selling mostly junk. But in it, I found this delightful, very tiny tanuki statue. I always wonder how old it is and what stories it has to tell. 🍀

Heartbroken to see the earthquake news out of Kumamoto. It's just a doodle charm, but it wishes to bring strength and peace to those suffering (everywhere in the world, actually). I'm fine. Thank you for all who reached out. I'm quite a ways above Kyūshū.

If I had 500 yen for every time I accidentally ripped, poked, or tore a hole in my shoji paper windows, I'd have more than enough money to buy more shoji paper and hire someone to repaper all of them for me. These were recently repapered, too 😭 Stoopid corners on things.

I went for a walk between rain showers, found a new path and a kind face. Ojizō are compassionate guardians who help ease our suffering. 💕

If anyone was wondering what happened to Lil' Jumpy*, I found him in my bedroom, farting around on my bookshelf. Dude has excellent taste in books! Three of my favorites right here. *from previous monitor diving video #kurtvonnegut #nathanenglander #oceanvuong #jumpingspider

I'm not weird or anything, but doesn't it look like if your ran your tongue along the body of an ebony jewelwing damselfly it would give you a delightful little *zing* and make all your fillings hum?

Ending the weekend with about an hour of near constant rolling thunder and some striking clouds.

I had a dear friend over the other day for a summer sukiyaki party. This dear friend has a certain way of eating sukiyaki... ...w/ gyoza (pot stickers). I was totally okay with it, but Other Friend was completely grossed out 😂. My personal theory is just @ anything would taste good in sukiyaki.

I *love* chocolate mint pretty-much-everything. But then a friend spotted this in a conbini and called me over. Chocolate and mint whipped cream sandwich. 😮 Verdict: Mmm, not bad! Could have gone harder on the mint flavor, actually. Chocolate lightly crunchy which was fun 😋

I woke up to this and actually gasped. No windows open upstairs, I haven't even gone upstairs for a week, no one but me in the house, no pets. I have questions. Longer post on patreon (free to read). www.patreon.com/thersamatsuu...

Local Shizuoka folklore says: when you hear whistling at night, never look toward the tracks, lest Thomas and Percy devour your soul.

🕷️In Lil' Jumpy news: Still alive. Hanging out on the other side of the room in my pile of clean (unfolded) clothes. I need to keep that fact in my head at all times. Otherwise, I'll be wearing Lil' Jumpy outside one day. Much to his chagrin, I'm sure. Photo later today, after...trip...😬

Me at six am, sweating right after my shower and rethinking all my life's choices. I agreed to go out today, so I could "be in" nature and take some photos. It's gonna be 35.6C / 96 F with ALL the humidity--Japan, I'm looking at you 👀. Wish me luck! 🍀🥵

Tomorrow I'm going on a little jaunt into the mountains and then taking an old train farther in. For the first time in ten years I won't be doing all the driving. As a matter of fact, I won't be driving and all and I am so excited😀 -- not just about the trip, but the no driving, too.

A delightful story about a brave little, silly little spider🥰. I spent way too many hours making this video yesterday. 😂🕷

Newest episode is out! 😊🌊💀⛵ I read a chilling essay by Lafcadio Hearn called "By the Japanese Sea." He talks about boat spirits, soul boats, & the best kind of cat to have if you want/need protection from vengeful funayūrei ghosts. open.spotify.com/episode/44Mt... #Japan #ghosts #podcast

Today's sunset is stunning!

Remember the jumping spider I left water out for while in Hokkaido? Well, I haven't seen him since. Thought: ded. But he's BACK! And acting like a nutter. He keeps stage diving from my monitor! Climbing back up and doing it again. Hilarious 😂 Will try to get a video.

Happy Marine Day 🌊 ! (Umi no Hi / 海の日) ! Remember to be mindful of those nasty boat spirits / funayūrei lurking under the waves though 💀.

Cheapo Samsung phone. Cheapo Samsung watch. I loved being able to track walks, workouts, & sleep. Now I wake up to: "Please agree to us using your data to train ai." Eff off. Watch is off. Looking for a NON ai alternative. I KNEW ai was going to be a horrifying monster back when we were using it

A book-shaped ✨dream✨ just arrived at my door ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶! I just opened my very first copy of Legends of Japan, my new middle-grade book filled with 50 Japanese heroes, monsters, spirits, and strange old tales. With stunning artwork by Tomii Masako ✨💕.

✨Old Japanese House Find #102✨ This marvelous old beast! A vintage Lucky/Fujimoto condenser enlarger for black and white photography. I used to shoot b&w back in high school. My brother-in-law was a fantastic photographer. Alas, I don't shoot film anymore.

Allrighty then😨. The house did something that officially spooked me. I never go upstairs. Cram-packed with crap, still. But today I did go, said hi to the upstairs, opened two windows to get some air up there. I just went to close them and EVERY door was standing wide open. These are ...