bjpatterson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in New Brunswick
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Places visited in Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Places visited in Kawasaki, Japan
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Takaoka, Japan

Takaoka Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Takaoka

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.
Yamanakako, Japan

Lake Yamanaka

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.
Ushiku, Japan

Ushiku Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Ushiku

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.
Mutsu, Japan

Mount Osore

This mountain's identity is stuck somewhere between a nightmare and a scenic tourist attraction.
Tomigusuku, Japan

Naval Underground Headquarters

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.
Tateyama-machi, Japan

Snow Canyon

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.
Kyoto, Japan

Ukiyoe Small Museum

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.
Niigata, Japan

Wara Art

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.
Hiraizumi, Japan

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo

Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.
Kyoto, Japan

Mimizuka

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.
Yamagata, Japan

Yamadera Temple Complex

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.
Kuwana-shi, Japan

Nabana No Sato

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.
Aso, Japan

Mount Aso Caldera

The largest volcanic caldera in Japan holds an entire city in its maw.
Iga, Japan

Iga Ryu Ninja Museum

Be a ninja - or just act like one.
Sasebo, Japan

Huis Ten Bosch

Historical Japanese-Dutch relations are honored with haunted rides and flower fields in this replica town.
Kobe, Japan

Kobe Luminarie

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.
Kumejima-chō, Japan

Tatami-ishi (Tatami Rocks)

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.
Noboribetsu-shi, Japan

Jigokudani (Hell Valley)

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.
Shirakawa-mura, Japan

Shirakawa-go

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.
Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto Botanical Garden

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

Showa Daibutsu

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.
Osaka, Japan

Gate Tower Building

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.
Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Kanamara Matsuri Festival

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.