Places albastarr Wants to Go

The medieval castle built as headquarters for the Pope's secretive Knights Templar.

Some 4,000 individual tiles make up this striking blue billboard from the golden age of air travel.

Open since 1690, this former teahouse makes “strength mochi” based on the centuries-old recipe.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

One of the best-preserved remains of "Tokyo's lost rivers."

This bathhouse includes an option to soak in radioactive water.

This retro café is a remnant of Japan’s post-war Argentine tango craze.

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

Losing lottery tickets are deposited at this shrine in hopes of better luck.

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

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

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

These unique toilets feature transparent glass covered in PDLC film.

Existing for more than four centuries, the last of Hakone’s historic teahouses serves a sweet, mold-based rice drink.

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

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

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

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

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