Places calton Wants to Go

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

Japan's largest and oldest annual procession of floats, begun in 869.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

For hundreds of years, participants in this Japanese festival have been making babies cry to ward off demons.

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken 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.”

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

A Buddhist temple to honor insects that died for science.

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

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.

A bovine sumo match in which both bulls live to fight another day.

A deserted island in southwest Japan that once sheltered persecuted Christians.

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

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

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

A giant robo-cockroach building devours Tokyo.

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.

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

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

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

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.