sarahruthphillips's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Kawazu, Japan
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Places visited in Otaru, Japan
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Places visited in Sado, Japan
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Places visited in Ōme, Japan
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Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Romantic Railway Diorama

Model trains whizz around an extensive room-sized diorama of Kyoto City.
Kawagoe, Japan

Five Hundred Arhats

Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.
Tokyo, Japan

Kimi-Chan

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.
Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto Station's Skyway

View Japan's most historic city from a cyberpunk walkway suspended 150 feet above the ground.
Tokyo, Japan

Azabu-Jūban Smile Monuments

A series of smile-themed sculptures created by artists from all over the world fill this Tokyo shopping district.
Otaru, Japan

Kitaichi Hall

A gorgeous, nostalgic café housed in a lofty old warehouse, lit only by petroleum lamps.
Sado, Japan

Sado Kinzan

For centuries, this gold mine was the powerhouse behind the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Nikko, Japan

'Imaginary Elephants'

These sculptures were created by a 17th-century artist who had never seen an elephant.
Tokyo, Japan

Tamon-ji (Tanuki Temple)

Home to a legend of the supernatural raccoon dog, a rare wooden structure of Edo, and witnesses of the Tokyo bombings.
Tokamachi, Japan

Kiyotsu Gorge 'Tunnel of Light'

There's light and a dreamlike panorama at the end of this tunnel.
Tokyo, Japan

Roppongi Hills Street Furniture

This quirky collection of furniture also happens to be a public art installation.
Matsumoto, Japan

Nawate Dori

This small Japanese street is lined with figures, sculptures and a shrine dedicated to frogs.
Nikko, Japan

Three Wise Monkeys of Tōshōgū Shrine

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Azumino, Japan

Daio Wasabi Farm

The largest of its kind in Japan, this century-old wasabi farm is also known for its appearance in an Akira Kurosawa film.
Matsushima, Japan

Matsushima Bay

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.
Nikko, Japan

'Nemuri-Neko' ('The Sleeping Cat')

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?
Naha, Japan

Shuri Castle

The seat of the lost Ryukyu Kingdom has survived numerous fires and wars over the centuries.
Kyoto, Japan

Kimono Forest

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.
Matsumoto, Japan

Matsumoto Castle

This historic castle is one of the oldest and most impressive in all of Japan.
Takayama, Japan

Takayama Shōwa-kan Museum

Its collection distills more than 60 years of pop culture in Japan, from Godzilla to Hulk Hogan.
Sado, Japan

Sado Island's Tarai Bune

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.
Utsunomiya, Japan

Oya History Museum - Subterranean Cave

This massive, beautifully-lit underground quarry leaves visitors in awe.
Tokyo, Japan

Ueno Daibutsu

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.
Kushiro, Japan

Lake Akan Ainu Kotan

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.