rebeccat's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Ogasawara, Japan

Nishinoshima

This volcanic island in the Pacific just keeps growing and growing.
Kyoto, Japan

Kameya Kiyonaga

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

Oinusama

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.
Sakawa, Japan

Uemachi Station

Though it won't take you far, the wood train housed at this station is the last of its kind in Japan.
Azumino, Japan

Daio Wasabi Farm

The largest of its kind in Japan, this century-old wasabi farm is also known for its appearance in an Akira Kurosawa film.
Tokyo, Japan

Chirori the Therapy Dog

A touching statue dedicated to Japan's first therapy dog.
Yonezawa, Japan

Ubayu Onsen

Located in a remote mountain valley in Yamagata Prefecture, these hot springs have attracted bathers for over 450 years.
Toyoura, Japan

Koboro Station

Inaccessible by foot, Japan's most secluded train station sits in the middle of nowhere.
Nikko, Japan

Cedar Avenue of Nikkō

Stretching for 22 miles, the world's longest tree-lined avenue dates back to the early 17th-century.
Matsushima, Japan

Matsushima Bay

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.
Yoshimi, Japan

Gankutsu Hotel

Chiseled out of a sandstone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins.
Kamakura, Japan

Zeniarai Benten Shrine

It is said that coins washed in the waters here will miraculously multiply.
Sado, Japan

Chokokuji Temple's Rabbit Kannon Statue

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.
Kyoto, Japan

Okochi Sanso Gardens

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.
Takayama, Japan

Takayama Shōwa-kan Museum

Its collection distills more than 60 years of pop culture in Japan, from Godzilla to Hulk Hogan.
Yokohama, Japan

Umi-Shibaura Station

Passengers are not allowed to set foot outside this station, but you can still enjoy spectacular views of the sea from the platform.
Sado, Japan

Sado Island's Tarai Bune

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.
Nagato, Japan

Mara Kannon

This phallic temple was erected in the forest to honor the tragic death of a samurai lord's son.
Utsunomiya, Japan

Oya History Museum - Subterranean Cave

This massive, beautifully-lit underground quarry leaves visitors in awe.
Niigata, Japan

Niigata Rice Cracker Museum & Bakauke Inari

This snack factory boasts several tributes to its popular line of rice crackers, including a quasi-shrine.
Nikko, Japan

Katayama Shuzo

Founded in 1880, this humble brewery still practices a disappearing technique of sake-making.
Tokyo, Japan

Secret Cobblestones of Hide-and-Seek Alley

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

Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.