ALLTOURS

Dollar at 162.8: What do you think? Japan's Hidden Gems Await

1. Iya Valley's Aerial Bridges

Iya Valley, Shikoku, Japan

These precarious vine bridges were historically built by fleeing samurai to be easily cut, deterring pursuers.

2. Sado Island's Exiled Gold

Sado Island, Niigata, Japan

This isolated island once housed a thriving gold mine and served as a remote exile for political dissidents and intellectuals.

3. Hiraizumi's Golden Age

Hiraizumi, Iwate, Japan

In the 12th century, this northern town rivaled Kyoto in splendor, boasting golden temples built by a powerful samurai clan.

4. Kunisaki's Stone Buddhas

Kunisaki Peninsula, Oita, Japan

The rugged Kunisaki Peninsula is dotted with unique magai-butsu, massive Buddha images carved directly into cliff faces.

5. Mount Osore's Spirit Mediums

Mount Osore, Aomori, Japan

This volcanic 'hell-on-earth' landscape is believed to be a gateway to the afterlife, where blind itako mediums communicate with the dead.

6. Asuka Village's Ancient Roots

Asuka Village, Nara, Japan

This unassuming village was Japan's first true capital and the birthplace of many foundational elements of Japanese culture and statehood.

7. Kurobe Gorge's Engineering Feat

Kurobe Gorge, Toyama, Japan

Japan's deepest V-shaped gorge is traversed by a dramatic, narrow-gauge railway built for a massive hydroelectric project.

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