[NHK Culture] Special Lecture on Chiba Prefecture's Yokai to be Held at NHK Culture Kashiwa and Chiba Classrooms! Lecturer is Yokai Investigator and Writer Kenji Murakami.

Exploring the Yokai of the Shimosa Region

Exploring the Yokai of the Shimosa Region (Online)

Exploring the Yokai of the Kazusa and Awa Regions

Exploring the Yokai of the Kazusa and Awa Regions (Online)

NHK Culture will hold lectures themed around yokai and supernatural tales passed down throughout Chiba Prefecture.

Various yokai legends remain across Japan, and the types of yokai told vary greatly depending on the region's natural environment, history, and culture.

Chiba Prefecture, with its diverse natural environments including forests, mountainous areas, coastlines facing the Pacific Ocean and Tokyo Bay, and plains with wide rivers, has been home to unique and distinctive yokai.

This lecture will clearly introduce interesting yokai legends from the Kazusa, Awa, and Shimosa regions, which correspond to present-day Chiba Prefecture, using abundant visual materials.

Strange Yokai Remaining in the Shimosa Region

Yokai of Shimosa

In the Shimosa region, there are many mysterious yokai legends closely tied to daily life, such as "Bichabicha Kozō" from Choshi City, which appears on rainy nights; "Tōga" from Narita City, which deceived people by transforming into a fake train; and "Mayoke Kobōzu," said to have appeared in Lake Teganuma during the Obon season.

We will explore mysterious beings born from people's daily lives and routines.

Yokai Legends of the Kazusa and Awa Regions

Yokai of the Kazusa and Awa Regions

In the Kazusa and Awa regions, a colorful world of yokai, shaped by the sea and mountains, unfolds. This includes "Daidarabocchi," known as a giant figure who created the land; a giant octopus spirit passed down in various parts of the Bōsō Peninsula; a ghost ship of foreign sailors in Onjuku; and Tengu legends associated with Iizuna-ji Temple on Cape Taito and Mount Iyo.

Furthermore, we will delve into regionally rich tales such as "Tagorō," known as a yokai of unknown origin, and "Seto Bunbun," a pest said to have originated from human resentment.

Rediscovering Chiba Prefecture's Yokai Culture

This lecture will explore the charm of Chiba Prefecture's living yokai world, touching upon the natural environments, history, and folk culture behind each region's yokai legends.

This content is recommended not only for yokai fans but also for those interested in history and culture.

We invite you to enjoy the world of mysterious stories passed down in Chiba Prefecture, accompanied by abundant visual materials.

Exploring the Yokai of Chiba Prefecture - Shimosa Region

Lecturer: Kenji Murakami (Yokai Investigator, Writer)

Format: Classroom (NHK Culture Center Kashiwa Classroom) / Online

Date and Time: July 25, 2026 (Sat) 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Course Fee:

Classroom Attendance: Members ¥4,004 (incl. tax) / General Public (no membership required) ¥4,576 (incl. tax)

Material Fee: ¥55 (incl. tax)

Online: Members/General Public (no membership required) ¥3,630 (incl. tax)

Organizer: NHK Culture Center Kashiwa Classroom

Details URL:

Classroom Attendance: https://www.nhk-cul.co.jp/programs/program_1334914.html

Online: https://www.nhk-cul.co.jp/programs/program_1334907.html

Chiba Prefecture - Exploring the Yokai of the Kazusa and Awa Regions

Lecturer: Kenji Murakami (Yokai Investigator, Writer)

Format: Classroom (NHK Culture Center Chiba Classroom) / Online

Date and Time: August 8, 2026 (Sat) 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Course Fee:

Classroom Attendance: Members ¥4,004 (incl. tax) / General Public (no membership required) ¥4,576 (incl. tax)

Material Fee: ¥55 (incl. tax)

Online: Members/General Public (no membership required) ¥3,630 (incl. tax)

Organizer: NHK Culture Center Chiba Classroom

Details URL:

Classroom Attendance: https://www.nhk-cul.co.jp/programs/program_1335737.html

Online: https://www.nhk-cul.co.jp/programs/program_1337290.html