agroff24's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Koshu, Japan

Daizenji 'Grape Temple'

A monk-run winery inside a Buddhist temple celebrates Japan's crown grape varietal.
Izumo-shi, Japan

Izumo-Taisha

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.
Kamikawa-chō, Japan

Tonomine Highlands

A thick blanket of beautiful pampas grass cloaks this unique Japanese landscape.
Ise, Japan

Ise Grand Shrine

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.
Sendai-shi, Japan

Sendai Daikannon

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.
Nagasaki, Japan

Fukusai-ji Temple

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.
Tokyo, Japan

Irugi Shrine

A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.
Hakone, Japan

Amazake-chaya Teahouse

Existing for more than four centuries, the last of Hakone’s historic teahouses serves a sweet, mold-based rice drink.
Kumamoto, Japan

Kumamoto Castle

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.
Ine, Japan

Funaya of Ine

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.
Onomichi, Japan

Ribbon Chapel

This high-design church is made up of two dizzying spirals meant to evoke the weaving together of marriage.
Yamanakako, Japan

Lake Yamanaka

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.
Tokyo, Japan

Museum of Kites

This tiny museum hidden above a restaurant houses thousands of modern and traditional kites.
Hiraizumi, Japan

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo

Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.
Tokyo, Japan

'Magokoro Tennyo' ('Goddess of Sincerity')

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.
Kyoto, Japan

Rokuon-ji Temple

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.
Tokyo, Japan

Samurai Museum

Dedicated to the armor and weapons used by the legendary Japanese warriors.
Kyoto, Japan

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.
Isahaya, Japan

Konagai's Fruit-Shaped Bus Stops

This town near Nagasaki is flecked with fruit-flavored bus stops.
Karuizawa, Japan

Karuizawa Picture Book Forest Museum

Children's literature inside, forest all around.
Iga, Japan

Iga Ryu Ninja Museum

Be a ninja - or just act like one.
Kyoto, Japan

Okazaki Shrine

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.
Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.
Aomori, Japan

Showa Daibutsu

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.