Places shlghbrwn Wants to Go

A peaceful place to spot the rare and iconic red-crowned crane.

A small shrine run entirely by vending machines.

This reconstructed castle was once the base of the “Devil King” who almost united the feudal warring states.

This ancient, tranquil shrine is the birthplace of ema prayer boards and the Ushi-no-toki-mairi curse ritual.

Nine healing baths available only to those who stay in this quaint town, said to have inspired 'Spirited Away.'

Though it won't take you far, the wood train housed at this station is the last of its kind in Japan.

A gorgeous, nostalgic café housed in a lofty old warehouse, lit only by petroleum lamps.

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.

Japan's hottest hot spring has a memorable name.

This historic castle is one of the oldest and most impressive in all of Japan.

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.

View Japan's most historic city from a cyberpunk walkway suspended 150 feet above the ground.

This traditional Japanese-style house doubles as one of James Turrell's colorful works of art.

Each year this Japanese temple overflows with scowling, bearded good luck talismans.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

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

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

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.