Places catbacon Wants to Go

Japan's longest-running music festival takes place on an isolated butterfly-shaped island.

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.

This battleship of a building was designed by a famed "mad architect."

More than 300 years old, Kyoto's historic "teahouse" still operates as an invitation-only geisha club.

This little town supplies Japan with most of its calligraphy brushes, still made by hand from animal fur.

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.

One of the world's largest ancient burial mounds.

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

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

Hidden by the roadside in the Iya Valley, this gem brings together folk monsters and the region's unique geography.

One of the largest producers of MSG in the world welcomes visitors to its Kawasaki factory with an albino panda named Aji-Kun.

The largest collection of model trains in the world is actually run using full-size locomotive technology.

A small Japanese village claims to be the final resting place of the son of God (and God's other son's ear).

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

A sobering scientific reminder of the human damage caused by the advent of the nuclear age.

You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

This town near Nagasaki is flecked with fruit-flavored bus stops.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

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

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

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

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.