daveschaaf's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Tokyo, Japan

Site of Suzugamori Execution Grounds

A site where ten to twenty thousand Edo-era prisoners were put to death.
Urayasu, Japan

'The Gate of Dynamism'

Next door to Tokyo DisneySea is a giant sculpture created by Taro Okamoto symbolizing the dynamism of life.
Tokyo, Japan

Kozukappara Execution Grounds

This infamous execution site inspired the beginning of Japan's modernization in the late 18th-century.
Tokyo, Japan

Shiotama

Steampunk, humanoid sculptures crawl on all fours in a Tokyo plaza.
Tokyo, Japan

The Whale Monument

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.
Tokyo, Japan

'Antinous as Vertumnus'

Unbeknownst to most passersby, this marble statue standing outside an office building is a genuine piece of second-century Rome.
Tokyo, Japan

The Asahi Flame

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."
Tokyo, Japan

Asakusa Underground Street

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.
Tokyo, Japan

Hakubutsukan-Dōbutsuen Station

Take a few seconds to look at this abandoned, art-filled station as you pass by on the subway to Ueno.
Tokyo, Japan

Nihonbashi Kirin Statues

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

Inokashira Park Benzaiten Shrine

Legend says the goddess this shrine honors curses any couples that pass by.
Tokyo, Japan

Transparent Restroom

These unique toilets feature transparent glass covered in PDLC film.
Tokyo, Japan

Ningyocho Mechanical Clock Towers

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.
Tokyo, Japan

Odaiba Statue of Liberty

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.
Tokyo, Japan

Gorilla Building

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.
Tokyo, Japan

Akihabara Electric Town

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

The Giant Ghibli Clock

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

Rokudō Chin’nōji Temple

It is believed that this Buddhist temple stands right on the gateway to the underworld.
Kyoto, Japan

Kamo River Turtle Stepping Stones

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.
Kyoto, Japan

Okochi Sanso Gardens

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.
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

Mimizuka

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