Zontax's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Hachiko

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

Suga Shrine Staircase

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.
Nagasaki, Japan

Fukusai-ji Temple

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.
Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

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

Yasui Kompira-gu Shrine

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.
Kyoto, Japan

Kiyomizu-Dera Temple

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.
Koganei, Japan

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.
Tokyo, Japan

Lucky Dragon and Atomic Tuna Memorial

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

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Tokyo, Japan

Akihabara Electric Town

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

Hiroshima's Hypocenter

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

Yokai Street

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.
Kyoto, Japan

Sanjūsangen-dō

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

Itsukushima Shrine

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

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Nagasaki, Japan

Gunkanjima Island

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

TĹŤdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Mitaka, Japan

Ghibli Museum

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Oak Ridge "The Secret City"

The secret city built by the Manhattan Project.
Titusville, Florida

NASA Vehicle Assembly Building

A building so large that it has its own weather.
St. Petersburg, Florida

Salvador DalĂ­ Museum

Florida might be at its most surreal in this museum devoted to the famed Spanish artist.