Located east of Shimane Prefecture’s capital city, Iya Shrine and a nearby site known as Yomotsuhirasaka are famous because they are believed to be connected to the entrance of Yomi no kuni (the ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura. Roads, shops, and hotels are gradually encroaching on the misty ...

“Ah-ah-eeh, ah-eeeh-aaaaaah, eeh-ah, eeeeh-aaah!” Tarzan yells as he swings on a vine from tree to tree to rescue a gal. He introduces himself, “Me Tarzan. You Jane.” Romantic music plays, and they ...

Located in western Tokushima on Shikoku Island, Iya Valley is a remote, rural region made up of dramatic mountain ridges, mighty rivers and dense emerald forests. Though bucolic, its landlocked ...

The U-shaped Hinoji valley is seen from the prefectural road which runs along the Iya River on Aug. 14, 2022, in the city of Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture. (Mainichi/Eisuke Inoue) As Japan's travel ...

Nagoro, in Japan’s Iya Valley, has fewer than 30 human residents and more than 350 handmade scarecrow dolls — each one made by a single woman, Tsukimi Ayano, to replace neighbors who died or moved ...