Places bkrisb18 Wants to Go

All 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are depicted in anthropomorphized deity form.

Life-sized statues of two characters from a decades-long Japanese film series stand outside Shibamata station.

A tiny street lined with eleven distinct Tanuki statues, each representing a different wish.

Various accidents and illnesses fell upon the developers who tried to remove these historic trees.

A bizarre object of worship believed to grant wishes to those who tie it up with a rope.

Unbeknownst to many, an ancient burial mound hides in plain sight in Ueno Park.

You can receive a blessing for your electronics at this Shinto shrine near Akihabara.

Overlooked by many, this tiny sacred island in Ueno Park only opens to the public every 12 days.

This lesser-visited gallery in a corner of the Tokyo National Museum complex is an architectural beauty dedicated to the ancient treasures of Hōryū-ji.

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.

A beautiful work of art designed to impress the Allied Forces.

Installed in 1965, this whimsical slide has spawned a brood of “octopus mountains” across Japan.

This “grave” memorializes the 53 rakugo stories that were once banned by the national censorship.

A tiny kissaten coffeeshop with expertly crafted coffee in an antique setting.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

A painting marks the site of a historic skyscraper destroyed by the Great Kantō earthquake.

This monument celebrates this shopping district's past history as a feudal silver mint.

A miniature shrine in the busy corner of Tokyo's historic Broadway, honoring a sextet of unusual entertainment gods.

These ordinary blocks of stone are the last surviving remains of Tokyo's infamous red-light district.

A commemoration of the first Dutchman to reach Japan, whose name still echoes in the heart of Tokyo.

A series of smile-themed sculptures created by artists from all over the world fill this Tokyo shopping district.

The origin of this bizarre, ghostly idol is a local mystery, even to the temple it calls home.

Outside of where Tsukiji Market once stood, these memorials honor the spirits of the fallen fish, shrimp, and eggs used for nigiri.

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