Places Cakebrains Wants to Go

Sample specialties from Xinjiang at this Shinjuku neighborhood gem.

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.

An eclectic temple with Chinese architecture, Korean lion-dogs, an Indian god and a legendary 700-year-old tree.

The only natural gorge in metropolitan Tokyo, with lots of greenery and ancient burial chambers.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

They say the internet is forever but just in case, the shiba inu behind an iconic meme has been immortalized in bronze.

A network of ancient tunnels and vaulted chambers with mystical Buddhist reliefs, built for ascetic training.

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

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

An ancient Greek physician is honored as a god at this hole-in-the-wall shrine.

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

This bathhouse includes an option to soak in radioactive water.

This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

This frescoed ancient burial mound is a colorful window into China’s influence in early Japan.

The long-lost tomb of an ancient Japanese emperor, complete with a miniature terracotta army.

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

Kokera sushi may be the rarest sushi you have never heard of.