simonthistle's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Miura, Japan

Nusuttogari

Off the beaten path along the coastline of Miura, a scenic cliff with an evocative name.
Kamakura, Japan

Yatozaka Kiridoshi Pass

An ancient mountain-cut pass runs largely forgotten in the suburbs of Kamakura.
Kamakura, Japan

Hao-Hao Tunnel

Over 80 years old, this hand-dug tunnel is a Chinese-style portal to another world.
Kamakura, Japan

Jinde

A mysterious, perhaps haunted plot of land, untouched by modern development.
Nanjo, Japan

Valley of Gangala

Once a huge limestone cave that collapsed thousands of years ago, this scenic ravine is also an important archaeological site.
Shiraoi, Japan

Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park)

Learn about the indigenous people of Japan's northernmost islands.
Kamakura, Japan

Muryōju-in Temple Site

Home to 800-year-old zen basin, a 400-year-old pilgrim’s path, and a century-old industrial grotto.
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

Mandarado Burial Grottoes

An eerie cluster of medieval cave-like tombs carved out of a cliff, hidden in a historic mountain pass.
Mito, Japan

Watari-Kashiwabara's Pylon 24

The only electricity pylon built over two lanes of traffic.
Kobe, Japan

Hanshin Expressway Earthquake Museum

A museum run by retired highway engineers who helped rebuild after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Tokyo, Japan

Todoroki Valley

The only natural gorge in metropolitan Tokyo, with lots of greenery and ancient burial chambers.
Tokyo, Japan

Fukagawa Edo Museum

A glimpse into life in 1830s Tokyo, back during the heyday of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Hakui, Japan

Cosmo Isle Hakui

A museum of space exploration in the UFO capital of Japan.
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.
Kamishihoro, Japan

Taushubetsu River Bridge

An isolated "phantom bridge" doomed to crumble into ruin.
Aki, Japan

Ioki Cave

Over 40 species of fern cover the canyon walls of this lush green bowl, cut off from the bustle of the world by a cave entrance.
Tokyo, Japan

Shibamata Taishakuten's Sculpture Gallery

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

Kiyotsu Gorge 'Tunnel of Light'

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

Mt. Yashima Ropeway

Nestled amid the trees lies an abandoned funicular railway that dates back to the 1920s.
Uonuma, Japan

Tadami Train Line

Running through lush forests and across the Tadami River, this train line offers breathtaking views of rural Japan.
Tokyo, Japan

Sumida Hokusai Museum

A small museum in a ward on the east side of Tokyo showcases the works of one of Japan's greatest ukiyo-e artists.
Yonezawa, Japan

Ubayu Onsen

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