Places bbcrack Wants to Go

This sawtooth mountain range still bears the strangely lovely marks of its history as a medieval quarry.

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 rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

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

Transport yourself to the 1980s era of video games at this themed restaurant and bar.

The world's largest drain sits below the city of Kasukabe, Japan.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.

A Catholicism-themed restaurant where sacrilege is on the menu.

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

Abandoned Japanese ghost town gives a glimpse into what our own metropolises may leave behind.

The world’s first hotel to be run by robots.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

Enormous underground chamber built to detect 'ghost particles' of the universe.

We heard you like volcanoes so we put a volcano in your volcano so you can die for sure...

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

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

One of Japan's most famous sights, the bridge was originally built in 1673.

Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

Starship-temple contains 400 tons of drinking water and offers free Japanese lessons.