Ultimate Demonology Smackdown: Appalachia Vs Japan

Can a place’s culture determine how its ghosts and demons interact with the living? JJ, who grew up in a haunted house in rural Tennessee, thought he could handle any kind of haunting. But when he moved to Japan, he realized that spirits in the land of the rising sun operate differently than the ghosts he was used to in rural Appalachia. Let’s take a journey from one side of the globe to the other and learn about how eastern versus western demonology differs, today, on Homespun Haints.

Watch the episode on YouTube:

Or listen right here:

About the Guest: JJ of Southern Demonology

JJ is the founder and brains behind Southern Demonology, a Podcast that explores a wide range of paranormal topics with an intellectual tone. How did we know you’d like that? Well, if you’re a fan of Homespun Haints, but wish we’d go waaaaay deeper into the theology and history of the supernatural things our guests tell us about, then you’ll really get a kick out of Southern Demonology. Whereas Becky and Diana are overeducated in other fields and learn about the paranormal from their guests on this show, JJ actually has advanced degrees in this field.

Listen to the Southern Demonology Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. To follow JJ, Southern Demonology, or the other podcast he regularly contributes to, The Paranormal Rundown, all social links are at linktr.ee/southerndemonology.

Eastern vs. Western Demonology

Ghost stories aren’t universal. The spirits that haunt us reflect the cultures that shape them – a truth JJ from Southern Demonology discovered when he moved from his haunted Tennessee cabin to Tokyo.

Having grown up in “a land of patchworked nightmares” – a 200-year-old log cabin in a town of just 113 people – JJ thought he understood hauntings. His childhood home had its resident ghost, Patrick, who would mysteriously open and close the attic door and leave body impressions on beds. But these Southern spirits paled in comparison to what awaited him in Japan.

Aokigahara Suicide Forest

The contrast became starkly clear during JJ’s visit with friends to Aokigahara, Japan’s infamous “Suicide Forest.” Despite not typically being sensitive to paranormal phenomena, he alone heard an inexplicable sound that drove him to leave after just 20 minutes. Others have described the sound as either a monk chanting sutras or a baby crying. The experience was so disturbing that he won’t return to the Sea of Trees.

Can Yokai Enter Without Permission?

Most chilling was his encounter in Tokyo, where an entity appeared on his balcony, demanding “hairu” (to enter) – a Japanese word JJ didn’t know at the time. The entity communicated not through normal speech but by projecting directly into his mind, causing physical pain. “I know that if I had opened that balcony door, I would no longer be in this world,” JJ explains.

Differences Between Eastern and Western demonology

JJ’s academic background provides context for understanding these cross-cultural demon differences. In a whopping 14 languages including ancient Hebrew, JJ traces how entities like Lilith evolved from Akkadian wind goddesses to Jewish folklore figures, demonstrating how spiritual beliefs transform across cultures. He also goes a little bit into different types of Japanese yokai (yurei, oni, tengu, kami, and tsukumogami).

Have You Seen A Demon?

If you’ve been approached by a demon, what was it like? Are you familiar with an even scarier type of demon than those in Appalachia or Japan? Why not apply to tell it on Homespun Haints? Ready to hear how demons differ across Eastern and Western cultures? Listen now, and have a spooky day!