moonlitshadow77's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Tokyo, Japan

Omori Shell Mound

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.
Chichibu, Japan

Chichibu Chinsekikan (Hall of Curious Rocks)

This quirky little private museum is home to more than a thousand stones, carved by nature, that resemble human faces.
Chichibu, Japan

Wado Ruins

The birthplace of Japanese coinage.
Tokyo, Japan

'WEB FRAME'

Designed by a computer, this intricate network of fluorescent green pipes has taken over a subway station.
Kamakura, Japan

Harakiri Yagura

Access to this hidden site of a 14th-century mass suicide is prohibited, unless it is to pray for the dead.
Kamakura, Japan

Sixteen Wells

This mysterious medieval grotto holds a grid of sacred wells of unknown purpose.
Kamakura, Japan

Kamakura's Seven Entrances

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.
Kamakura, Japan

Zeniarai Benten Shrine

It is said that coins washed in the waters here will miraculously multiply.
Ōsaki, Japan

Kejonuma Leisure Land

A quaint amusement park now sits, rusting and forgotten among the foliage.
Tamura, Japan

Abukuma-do Caves

These wondrously illuminated caverns extend under the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture.
Tokyo, Japan

Jisshi Park

This small park holds what remains of a former prison and execution ground.
Tokyo, Japan

Taira no Masakado's Grave

A shrine dedicated to a 10th-century samurai emperor, whose head is not buried on site (contrary to popular belief).
Takamatsu, Japan

Mt. Yashima Ropeway

Nestled amid the trees lies an abandoned funicular railway that dates back to the 1920s.
Ichikawa, Japan

Yawata no Yabushirazu

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare enter it.
Kanonji, Japan

Zenigata Sunae

This massive, Edo Period, coin-shaped sand painting is believed to be a source of great luck.
Kitagawa, Japan

Monet's Garden Marmottan

Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.
Yoshinogari, Japan

Yoshinogari Historical Park

The largest archaeological site from the Yayoi period.
Kyoto, Japan

Remains of Rajōmon Gate

The site where the famous city gate once stood, now in the middle of a playground.
Nasu, Japan

Sesshōseki (Killing Stone)

Believed to hold the remains of Japan's most infamous fox spirit, this stone is said to kill those who dare approach.
Tokyo, Japan

War-Damaged Utility Pole Monument

A sad reminder of the World War II bombing stands largely unnoticed on a street corner.
Kyoto, Japan

Okazaki Shrine

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

Yokai Yashiki (Monster and Stone Museum)

Hidden by the roadside in the Iya Valley, this gem brings together folk monsters and the region's unique geography.
Takasaki, Japan

Hodota Burial Mounds

A trio of keyhole-shaped burial mounds restored to their ancient glory.
Tokyo, Japan

Haneda Ōtorii

A cursed torii gate still stands on the edge of Haneda Airport, decades after its shrine's relocation.