mirons's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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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.
Noto, Japan

Mawaki Site

The site of a prehistoric settlement spanning millennia, complete with a reconstructed timber circle.
Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Romantic Railway Diorama

Model trains whizz around an extensive room-sized diorama of Kyoto City.
Ikoma, Japan

Kuragari Pass

This quaint mountain pass with centuries-old cobblestones is known as Japan's steepest slope.
Minamishimabara, Japan

Memorial Park of Houses Destroyed by Debris Flows

Buried nine feet under, these houses are preserved as a stark reminder of the disastrous 1991 Unzen eruption.
Kamakura, Japan

Hansobo Shrine

A mountaintop shrine-temple guarded by a horde of half-demon priests.
Yoichi, Japan

Fugoppe Cave Petroglyphs

One of the only two archaeological sites in Japan to feature petroglyphs, which some believe to be a long-lost writing system of the gods.
Yokohama, Japan

Kokudō Station

Unchanged for decades, World War II-era bullet holes and nostalgic ghost signs still haunt this desolate train station.
Kawagoe, Japan

Five Hundred Arhats

Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.
Kamakura, Japan

Chikaramochiya

Open since 1690, this former teahouse makes “strength mochi” based on the centuries-old recipe.
Yokohama, Japan

Taya Caves

A network of ancient tunnels and vaulted chambers with mystical Buddhist reliefs, built for ascetic training.
Otaru, Japan

Kitaichi Hall

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

Shibamata Taishakuten's Sculpture Gallery

A hidden gallery exhibits intricate, decades-old Buddhist reliefs.
Asahikawa, Japan

Kamuy Kotan

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

Kiyotsu Gorge 'Tunnel of Light'

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

Kadokawa Musashino Museum

This airy five-floor library and museum houses thousands of books and rotating exhibits on Japanese monsters and anime.
Tokyo, Japan

Stone Monuments of Hibiya Park

This park boasts a unusual collection of curious monuments from around the world, from Micronesia to Antarctica.
Ichinoseki, Japan

Genbikei Gorge

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

Sado Kinzan

For centuries, this gold mine was the powerhouse behind the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Tsugaru, Japan

Kizukuri Station

A train station decorated by a giant replica of an ancient Shakōki-dogū figurine.
Chichibu, Japan

Wado Ruins

The birthplace of Japanese coinage.
Ashikaga, Japan

Ashikaga School

The oldest academic institution in Japan provides a glimpse of university life during the days of the samurai.
Minakami, Japan

Doai Train Station

Would you spend the night in Japan's deepest train station?
Kyoto, Japan

Kimono Forest

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.