elisewaln's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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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.
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.
Hayakawa, Japan

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.
Naoshima, Japan

Bennesse Art Site Naoshima

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

Tatami-ishi (Tatami Rocks)

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

Samurai Museum

Dedicated to the armor and weapons used by the legendary Japanese warriors.
Onomichi, Japan

Shimanami Kaido Bikeway

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.
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.
Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Nikko, Japan

Kanmangafuchi Abyss

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.
Nagano, Japan

Nagano's Darkroom

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.
Kyoto, Japan

Yasui Kompira-gu Shrine

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.
Kyoto, Japan

Rokuon-ji Temple

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.