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The Salt God and the Magic of Salt (Ep. 162)
Season 8 · Episode 162

The Salt God and the Magic of Salt (Ep. 162)

Ancient salt-making, sumo purification, samurai honor, and the deity who stopped a tsunami

Uncanny Japan

December 17, 202415m 16s

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Show Notes

During the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, the water rose to the exact edge of Shiogama Shrine and retreated. At Japanese funerals, you're given salt to sprinkle on your shoulders before going home. Tiny salt pyramids guard shop entrances across Japan.

What connects these practices to a 2,000-year-old deity? Why does salt purify sumo rings, stop crematorium ghosts, and protect businesses? How did a warring states proverb about sending enemies salt become a code of samurai honor?

Meet Shiotsuchi-oji-no-kami, the Salt God, and discover the ancient seaweed technique that changed Japan forever.

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Credits

Music by Julyan Ray Matsuura

About SpectreVision Radio

SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.

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