mikemhowe's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Prague, Czechia

Speculum Alchemiae

The hidden lair of an alchemist rediscovered in a 2002 flood.
Prague, Czechia

Strahov Monastery

Two stunning 17th-century libraries and a cabinet of curiosities.
Prague, Czechia

The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague

The history of occult science is turned into a creepshow at this lurid Prague tourist attraction.
Koh Kret, Thailand

Chit Beer

On a river island north of Bangkok, a small bar helped lead a home-brewing rebellion.
Tambon Saen Suk, Thailand

The Wang Saen Suk Hell Garden

Walk through depictions of the torture inflicted on those who go to Buddhist hell.
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

Matsuchiyama Shoden

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.
Tokyo, Japan

Irugi Shrine

A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.
Tokyo, Japan

Kiha

It's bad manners to eat and drink on the subways of Tokyo, unless the train is this bar. 
Tokyo, Japan

Koukokuji Buddhist Temple

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.
Osaka, Japan

Taiyoshi Hyakuban

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.
Osaka, Japan

Fudo Myo-o Statue

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

Tavern Pachimon Wars

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.
Osaka, Japan

Izakaya Toyo

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.
Kyoto, Japan

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

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

Okochi Sanso Gardens

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

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.
Kyoto, Japan

Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.
Kyoto, Japan

Ryōan-ji

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

Yokai Street

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

Funaoka Onsen

Have a soak at this retro bathhouse, where you will find Japan's first electric bath, tiling from Spain, and wood carvings representing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
Kyoto, Japan

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.
Kyoto, Japan

Honke Owariya

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.