whitwiz's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Nikko, Japan

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

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?
Nikko, Japan

'Imaginary Elephants'

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

Three Wise Monkeys of Tōshōgū Shrine

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

Cedar Avenue of Nikkō

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

Hatsudai Bridge

One of the best-preserved remains of "Tokyo's lost rivers."
Tokyo, Japan

Akihabara Electric Town

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.
Tokyo, Japan

Nihonbashi Kirin Statues

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.
Tokyo, Japan

Origin of Ginza Monument

This monument celebrates this shopping district's past history as a feudal silver mint.
Tokyo, Japan

The Giant Ghibli Clock

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.
Tokyo, Japan

Shimbashi Station SL Square

The decommissioned steam engine’s whistle can still be heard three times a day at one of Japan’s oldest train stations.
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.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Washington, D.C.

Willard Hotel

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”
Washington, D.C.

The Cairo

This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.
Islamorada, Florida

Betsy the Lobster

This spiny beast guards an artist's village while vying for the title of largest lobster in the world.
Fort Myers, Florida

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

One-time winter retreats of prolific inventor Thomas Edison and his friend Henry Ford.
Captiva, Florida

The Bubble Room

This kitsch eatery is chock-a-block with bric-a-brac.
Sanibel, Florida

Grave of Captain Oliver Bowen

The bizarre story of the mysterious death and hidden treasure of one of Sanibel Island's early homesteaders.
Sanibel, Florida

Pistol Shrimp of Ding Darling

Just below the surface, shrimp are producing temperatures hotter than the sun.
Sanibel, Florida

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum

In a city crazy for seashells this museum educates and amazes visitors using the wonder of cast-off exoskeletons.
Yachats, Oregon

Thor's Well

On the Oregon coast there is a natural hole that seems to be draining the sea.
Government Camp, Oregon

Mount Hood

Despite a legend that says this highest peak in Oregon was climbed in high heels, scores of people have died on its slopes.
Government Camp, Oregon

Timberline Lodge

You might know it as the Overlook Hotel, but the inside is not going to be familiar.