Avocado28's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Aralsk, Kazakhstan

Aral Sea

Rusting ships sit in a desert where a sea used to be.
Saty, Kazakhstan

Kaindy Lake

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

The Last Wild Apple Forests

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.
Saku, Japan

Tatsuoka Castle Site

The site of one of the only two star-shaped forts in Japan was used as an elementary school for over a century, much longer than its life as a castle.
Kamakura, Japan

Hōjō-Komachi Archaeological Remains

The preserved ruins of the Hōjō clan’s palatial estate, hidden in the basement of a tourist information center.
Karuizawa, Japan

Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Stone Church

An unusual structure of stone and glass honoring one of Japan’s most eminent Christian leaders who founded the non-church movement.
Sapporo, Japan

Historical Village of Hokkaido

An open-air museum exhibiting a total of 52 century-old buildings, recreating Hokkaido’s “pioneer village.”
Otaru, Japan

Kitaichi Hall

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

Kamuy Kotan

A natural wonder with mythological ties to the local Ainu tradition.
Aki, Japan

Ioki Cave

Over 40 species of fern cover the canyon walls of this lush green bowl, cut off from the bustle of the world by a cave entrance.
Tokamachi, Japan

Kiyotsu Gorge 'Tunnel of Light'

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

Genbikei Gorge

A stretch of the Iwai River that features beautiful rocky cliffs, rapids, and flying dango.
Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Center

Tatar Russian in origin, the largest mosque in Japan is now an Ottoman-style Turkish culture center.
Nikko, Japan

Cedar Avenue of Nikkō

Stretching for 22 miles, the world's longest tree-lined avenue dates back to the early 17th-century.
Matsumoto, Japan

Matsumoto Castle

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

Sakura no Tōrinuke

Every spring, this walkway outside the Japan Mint turns into a cherry blossom tunnel.
Yoshinogari, Japan

Yoshinogari Historical Park

The largest archaeological site from the Yayoi period.
Ojika-chō, Japan

Nozaki Island

A deserted island in southwest Japan that once sheltered persecuted Christians.
Tokyo, Japan

Meiji University Museum’s Criminal Materials Department

Exploring crime and punishment in feudal and pre-modern Japan.
Nagasaki, Japan

Head of the Virgin Mary

The statue's head is one of the few fragments of the original Urakami Cathedral to survive the atomic bomb.
Kamakura, Japan

Sixteen Wells

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

Ki Castle (Kinojo Castle Ruins)

A rare example of an ancient Japanese hill castle believed to be the fortress of a legendary demon.
Kyoto, Japan

Okochi Sanso Gardens

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.
Minakami, Japan

Mount Tanigawa

This little known mountain has claimed four times as many lives as Everest.