Brit'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.
Ichikawa, Japan

Yawata no Yabushirazu

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare to enter.
Sapporo, Japan

Dog's Roasted Sweet Potato Stand

The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.
Kobe, Japan

Kobe Luminarie

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

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.
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?
Yufu, Japan

Yufuin Floral Village

This amusement park brings a little slice of England to the heart of Kyushu.
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.
Osaka, Japan

Fudo Myo-o Statue

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

Buddha's Nostril

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

Kanmangafuchi Abyss

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.
Hokkaidō, Japan

Blue Pond

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

Gotokuji Temple

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

Sengaku-Ji

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

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Nikko, Japan

Three Wise Monkeys of Tōshōgū Shrine

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.