gledhillmadeleine's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Kumejima-chō, Japan

Tatami-ishi (Tatami Rocks)

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.
Nagakute, Japan

Satsuki and Mei's House

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."
Tokyo, Japan

Samurai Museum

Dedicated to the armor and weapons used by the legendary Japanese warriors.
Ōzora-chō, Japan

Shibazakura Park

Japan's largest area of "pink moss" turns the hillside bright pink every spring.
Kawazu, Japan

Kawazu Sakura Festival

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.
Naoshima, Japan

Bennesse Art Site Naoshima

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.
Gamagori, Japan

Takeshima Fantasy Museum

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.
Tosashimizu, Japan

Ashizuri Underwater Observation Tower

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.
Ōmihachiman-shi, Japan

Okishima Island

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.
Odawara, Japan

The Hydrangea Train

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.
Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Scenic Railway

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.
Tokyo, Japan

Jimbōchō Book Town

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.
Beppu, Japan

Chinoike Jigoku

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.
Tokyo, Japan

Ekibenya Matsuri

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.
Seki-shi, Japan

Monet's Pond

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.
Tokyo, Japan

Harukor

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.
Tokyo, Japan

Kojo

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.
Iwaizumi, Japan

Ryūsendō Cave

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.
Himeji, Japan

Kokoen Garden

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.
Hokkaidō, Japan

Blue Pond

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.
Yokohama, Japan

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.
Miyoshi, Japan

The Vine Bridges of Iya Valley

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.
Hitachinaka, Japan

Kochia Hill

Every autumn, this hillside is ablaze with red summer cypress.
Namerikawa, Japan

The Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.