MikeInSanFrancisco's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Valdivia, Chile
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Places edited in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
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Places visited in Viña del Mar, Chile
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Places edited in Cartagena, Spain
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Places edited in Tacoma, Washington
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Takaoka, Japan

Takaoka Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Takaoka

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.
Miyoshi, Japan

Peeing Boy of Iya Valley

A statue erected on an infamous cliff where young boys would hold dangerous "pee offs" to prove their mettle.
Ushiku, Japan

Ushiku Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Ushiku

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.
Sendai-shi, Japan

Sendai Daikannon

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

The Puchicalator

The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.
Osaka, Japan

Taiyoshi Hyakuban

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.
Kawasaki, Japan

Keihin Industrial Ward

An eerie maze of industrial factories looks like something out of a dystopian sci-fi.
Ashibetsu, Japan

Canadian World

A semi-abandoned replica of Prince Edward Island's Avonlea—in Japan.
Tokyo, Japan

Secret Cobblestones of Hide-and-Seek Alley

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

Inakadate Tanbo Art

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.
Tōkamachi-shi, Japan

House of Light

This traditional Japanese-style house doubles as one of James Turrell's colorful works of art.
Mine, Japan

Akiyoshido Cave

Approximately 300 million years ago, a massive coral reef existed in what is now the largest limestone cave in Japan.
Onomichi, Japan

Ribbon Chapel

This high-design church is made up of two dizzying spirals meant to evoke the weaving together of marriage.
Inuyama, Japan

Little World Museum of Man

An anthropological theme park that depicts the cultures of around 20 different countries.
Kobe, Japan

Tetsujin 28 Robot Statue

A 59-ft. robot statue looks over the citizens of earthquake-ravaged Kobe.
Ōsaki, Japan

Kejonuma Leisure Land

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

Japanese Sword Museum

This museum showcases the art of ancient sword-making.
Hakone, Japan

Amazake-chaya Teahouse

Existing for more than four centuries, the last of Hakone’s historic teahouses serves a sweet, mold-based rice drink.
Tokyo, Japan

Ningyocho Mechanical Clock Towers

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.
Nagasaki, Japan

Atomic Bomb Medical Museum

A sobering scientific reminder of the human damage caused by the advent of the nuclear age.
Tokyo, Japan

Chankonabe Shinzan

Sidle into a side alley for a taste of sumo wrestlers' traditional hot-pot soup, in a tiny restaurant founded by a former competitor.
Gujō-shi, Japan

Sample Kobo

Make your own fake treats at this factory and workshop in the epicenter of Japan's food replica industry.
Sakaiminato, Japan

Rollercoaster Bridge (Eshima Ohashi)

This bridge is so steep it looks like a rollercoaster.
Tokyo, Japan

Myth of Tomorrow

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.