joeharrold's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Karatsu, Japan

Hikiyama Float Exhibition Hall

The floats housed in this hall are more than 100 years old, and are brought out for an annual celebration.
Inakadate, Japan

Inakadate Tanbo Art

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.
Tomigusuku, Japan

Naval Underground Headquarters

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.
Taketomi, Japan

The Star Sands of Hoshizuna-no-hama

White beach sands made of the remains of tiny, star shaped creatures.
Tokyo, Japan

Lucky Dragon and Atomic Tuna Memorial

Oddly touching memorial to a little-remembered nuclear tragedy.
Aomori, Japan

Showa Daibutsu

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

Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum

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

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Hachimantai, Japan

Matsuo Mine

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

Gotokuji Temple

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

Tenshou-Kyousha Shrine Mermaid Mummy

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

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail

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

Hachiko

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.
Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima's Hypocenter

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.
Tokyo, Japan

Zauo

The freshest fish here are the ones you catch yourself.
Kasukabe, Japan

G-Cans: the World's Largest Drain

The world's largest drain sits below the city of Kasukabe, Japan.
Hatsukaichi, Japan

Itsukushima Shrine

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.
Kyoto, Japan

Ryōan-ji

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

Okunoshima

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

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
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.
Nagasaki, Japan

Gunkanjima Island

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

Anata No Warehouse

This faux-seedy Japanese arcade is made up to look like a maze of alleys straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia.
Fujinomiya-shi, Japan

Aokigahara Forest

A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.