watercolorstain's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Tokyo, Japan

Owaraji (Giant Straw Sandals)

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.
Tokyo, Japan

Garden of Unborn Children

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.
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.
Tokyo, Japan

Odaiba Statue of Liberty

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.
Tokyo, Japan

Omoide Yokocho

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”
Kyoto, Japan

Okazaki Shrine

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.
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

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.
Tokyo, Japan

Giant Unicorn GUNDAM Robot

A 20-meter (65-foot) robot towers over Tokyo Bay.
Tokyo, Japan

Gotokuji Temple

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.
Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.
Hakone, Japan

Hakone Open-Air Museum

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.
Hakone, Japan

Owakudani Black Eggs

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life.
Nikko, Japan

Three Wise Monkeys of Tōshōgū Shrine

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Nikko, Japan

'Imaginary Elephants'

These sculptures were created by a 17th-century artist who had never seen an elephant.
Nikko, Japan

'Nemuri-Neko' ('The Sleeping Cat')

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?
Kawasaki, Japan

Anata No Warehouse

This faux-seedy Japanese arcade is made up to look like a maze of alleys straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia.
Kamakura, Japan

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.
Koya, Japan

Okunoin Cemetery

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.
Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.
Himeji, Japan

Kokoen Garden

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.
Onomichi, Japan

Shimanami Kaido Bikeway

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.