The Lost Wolves of Japan: Gods, Guardians, and Ghosts (Ep. 200) -from the archives

Once, wolves roamed the mountains of Japan—not simply as predators, but as protectors, messengers of the gods, and sometimes gods themselves.

For this special archive episode, I’ve combined two earlier Uncanny Japan episodes into one extended journey through the history and folklore of the Japanese wolf, or ōkami. We’ll explore their extinction, old wolf shrines and wolf worship, Yamato Takeru’s mysterious white wolf, the eerie okuri-inu that follows travelers through the mountains, and stories of wolves that protected, warned, guided…and occasionally ate those who weren’t careful.

And then there’s the question some people are still asking today:

Are Japan’s wolves really gone?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices