moon521's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Kyoto, Japan

Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni

The groundbreaking Japanese shrine maiden who invented the art of kabuki.
Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.
Kyoto, Japan

Sanjūsangen-dō

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.
Kyoto, Japan

Mimizuka

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.
Kyoto, Japan

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.
Kyoto, Japan

Ryōan-ji

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.
Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.
Komaki, Japan

Mama Kannon Temple

The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.
Osaka, Japan

10-Yen Vending Machines

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.
Osaka, Japan

Tavern Pachimon Wars

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.
Osaka, Japan

Izakaya Toyo

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.
Osaka, Japan

Sakura no Tōrinuke

Every spring, this walkway outside the Japan Mint turns into a cherry blossom tunnel.
Osaka, Japan

Taiyoshi Hyakuban

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

Dotonbori Hotel Front Pillars

Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.
Osaka, Japan

Fudo Myo-o Statue

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.
Motobu, Japan

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.
Kyoto, Japan

Kyotomangekyo Museum

Visitors to this museum will discover that kaleidoscopes are much more than toys.
Kyoto, Japan

Funaoka Onsen

Have a soak at this retro bathhouse, where you will find Japan's first electric bath, tiling from Spain, and wood carvings representing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
Kyoto, Japan

Kameya Kiyonaga

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."
Kyoto, Japan

Original Nintendo Building

The first location of the eventual video game giant.
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.
Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

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

Sagano Scenic Railway

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.
Kyoto, Japan

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.