clairetwanderson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Toba-shi, Japan

Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.
Ise, Japan

Ise Grand Shrine

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.
Koya, Japan

Okunoin Cemetery

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.
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

Ryōan-ji

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

Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.
Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

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

Buddha's Nostril

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

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Kobe, Japan

Kitano-chō

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.
Tondabayashi, Japan

PL Peace Tower

A strange tribute to all the fallen souls of war.
Ikeda, Japan

Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.
Osaka, Japan

Fudo Myo-o Statue

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

Osaka Maritime Museum

An abandoned giant glass dome sits in the bay in “the Venice of the East.”
Suita-shi, Japan

Tower of the Sun

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.