bcross17's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Tokyo, Japan

Takagi Shrine

Rice balls symbolize fate and relationship at this adorable shrine, which was once dedicated to the Buddhist Devil.
Kyoto, Japan

Rokudō Chin’nōji Temple

It is believed that this Buddhist temple stands right on the gateway to the underworld.
Iwakuni, Japan

Iwakuni Shirohebi Shrine

A shrine dedicated to the sacred white snakes of Iwakuni, whose albinism has been passed down for generations.
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.
Kamakura, Japan

Zeniarai Benten Shrine

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

Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial Museum

The former home of queer novelist Yoshiya Nobuko memorializes her contributions to modern-day manga.
Matsumoto, Japan

Nawate Dori

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

Lake Akan Ainu Kotan

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

Tsuki Shrine

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.
Kanazawa, Japan

Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
Kazuno, Japan

Ōyu Stone Circles

Constructed thousands of years ago, these stone circles offer incredible insight into the lives of the people who built them.
Yufu, Japan

Yufuin Floral Village

This amusement park brings a little slice of England to the heart of Kyushu.
Nankoku, Japan

Yuzuan Restaurant

Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.
Aomori, Japan

Sannai Maruyama Ruins

These Japanese ruins have been brought back to life with elaborately recreated buildings.
Tokyo, Japan

Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Myonichikan

The buildings are among the few Frank Lloyd Wright structures still standing in Japan.
Yoshimi, Japan

The Hundred Caves of Yoshimi

This ancient burial site was once thought to be the home of a race distinctive to Ainu folklore.
Tokyo, Japan

Oinusama

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.
Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

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

Tatami-ishi (Tatami Rocks)

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

Wind Telephone

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.
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.
Gamagori, Japan

Takeshima Fantasy Museum

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

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.