Close to Tokyo's Ueno Park, the Kan'ei-ji temple is a quiet pagoda far removed from the hustle and bustle of the park's top tourists draws - its zoo and museums. Few visitors stop by, and most of... »

Curious Places of Worship | Edited by ilbonito, wythe and 2 others

Heavenly Dragon Temple, or Tenryu-ji, is best known for its zen garden, a long and winding path lined with thousands of towering bamboo stalks. Tenryū-ji — more formally known as Tenryū... »

Curious Places of Worship | Edited by bebeto, Dylan and others

Built in 711, the Fushimi Inari Shrine is the most famous of several thousands shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto God of rice. Foxes are thought to be his messengers of Inari and many fox... »

Curious Places of Worship | Edited by bebeto and Dylan

The Gyoja are a sect of Tendai Buddhists residing on Japan's Mount Hiei who have come to be known as the "Marathon Monks" for their spiritual athleticism. The ultimate achievement of the sect is... »

Wondrous Performances, Rites and Rituals, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by Josh, Dylan and others

Neutrinos are some of the most abundant yet mysterious particles in our universe. Every second 50 trillion of them fly through our bodies without so much as a trace. Their neutral electric... »

Instruments of Science, Subterranean Sites | Edited by Trevor and Dylan

The history of the ninja is closely associated with Mie Prefecture in southern Japan, where a small museum is dedicated to their history and art. Located close to Iga Ueno Castle, the museum... »

Unique Collections | Edited by Annetta and wythe

Awashima jinja is a shrine for women and is famous for its enormous collection of dolls. There are a lot of Japanese superstitions about dolls, and a good number of people in Japan seem to find... »

Unique Collections, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by michelle, re_nakaba and 2 others

Located in the Omotesando shopping street in Miyajima is what is said to be the largest wooden rice scoop in the world. Some 7.7 meters long, 2.7 meters thick and 2.5 tonnes it is said to be made... »

Unusual Monuments | Edited by spinkk and Dylan

The Japanese battleship Yamato, built in the shipyards at Kure in 1941, was 263 meters long, with 12 Kanpon boilers turning four turbine screws 6 meters (20 ft.) in diameter, at 27 knots (50Km/h)... »

Unique Collections | Edited by spinkk and Dylan

There is no matador in an Okinawan bullfight, or "tougyu." The athletes are the bulls themselves and spectators are there to cheer for them. Two bulls, each one weighing as much as a car lock... »

Fascinating Fauna, Wondrous Performances, Rites and Rituals | Edited by spinkk and Dylan