anandi's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Sendai, Japan

Mount Hiyori

Officially the lowest mountain in Japan.
Nagasaki, Japan

Gunkanjima Island

Once the most densely populated place in the world, this island is now a ghost town.
Hachimantai, Japan

Matsuo Mine

Abandoned Japanese ghost town gives a glimpse into what our own metropolises may leave behind.
Ōmihachiman-shi, Japan

Okishima Island

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.
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.
Beppu, Japan

Chinoike Jigoku

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.
Iwakuni, Japan

Kintai Bridge

One of Japan's most famous sights, the bridge was originally built in 1673.
Iwakuni, Japan

Iwakuni Shirohebi Shrine

A shrine dedicated to the sacred white snakes of Iwakuni, whose albinism has been passed down for generations.
Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto Botanical Garden

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.
Fujinomiya, Japan

Tenshou-Kyousha Shrine Mermaid Mummy

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.
Tokyo, Japan

Mohri Garden Pond

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.
Seki-shi, Japan

Monet's Pond

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.
Tokyo, Japan

Sōgenji Temple (Kappa-Dera)

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.
Himeji, Japan

Kokoen Garden

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

Blue Pond

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.
Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Okunoshima

Japanese island famous for poison gas and fluffy bunnies.
Kyoto, Japan

Sanjūsangen-dō

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.
Yokohama, Japan

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.
Tokyo, Japan

Sengaku-Ji

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.
Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

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

Gotokuji Temple

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

Giant GUNDAM Robot

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

The Vine Bridges of Iya Valley

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.