DammitDan's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Paris, France

Le Défenseur du Temps (The Defender of Time)

A mechanized clock where a man fights off a dragon, crab, and rooster.
Kinokawa, Japan

Kishi Station

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.
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.
Strasbourg, France

Büchmesser (Belly Measuring Column)

A pink sandstone column once used in ancient times to measure one's belly after a night of debauchery.
Strasbourg, France

Stained-Glass Demons

Explore this medieval cathedral by trying to spot all the malevolent monsters hiding in its beautifully colored windows.
Strasbourg, France

Historic Wine Cellar of Strasbourg Hospital

This 14th century wine cellar is home to the oldest barrel-stored wine in the world.
Kushiro, Japan

Lake Akan Ainu Kotan

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

Yuzuan Restaurant

Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.
Tokushima-shi, Japan

Awa Odori

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.
Sendai-shi, Japan

Sendai Daikannon

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.
Ichikawa, Japan

Yawata no Yabushirazu

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

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.
Kyoto, Japan

Okazaki Shrine

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.
Shirakawa-mura, Japan

Shirakawa-go

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.
Kyoto, Japan

Ichijo Modoribashi Bridge

The “bridge of return” is haunted by a myriad of legends, from ghosts to demons to nuptial superstitions.
Kyoto, Japan

Rokudō Chin’nōji Temple

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

Minatoya Yurei Kosodate-Ame Honpo

Legend has it that centuries ago, a ghost once frequented this candy shop to feed her still-living baby.
Kyoto, Japan

Kamo River Turtle Stepping Stones

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.
Kyoto, Japan

Kiyomizu-Dera Temple

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.
Kyoto, Japan

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.
Kyoto, Japan

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Tokyo, Japan

Secret Cobblestones of Hide-and-Seek Alley

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.
Tokyo, Japan

Kozukappara Execution Grounds

This infamous execution site inspired the beginning of Japan's modernization in the late 18th-century.
Tokyo, Japan

Odaiba Statue of Liberty

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.