Places christiesmiles Wants to Go

This volcanic island in the Pacific just keeps growing and growing.

Chiseled out of a sandstone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins.

This massive, Edo Period, coin-shaped sand painting is believed to be a source of great luck.

This beautiful defunct water tower adds a European flair to a traditional Japanese neighborhood.

This Metabolist, retro-futuristic residential complex resembles a cyberpunk space colony established on Earth.

A wooden prison doesn't sound like a good idea, yet this abandoned 1950s detention center still stands today.

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.

This massive, beautifully-lit underground quarry leaves visitors in awe.

The largest archaeological site from the Yayoi period.

This strange mural located in the Ueno station is filled with traditional Japanese symbolism.

The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.

Its collection distills more than 60 years of pop culture in Japan, from Godzilla to Hulk Hogan.

This phallic temple was erected in the forest to honor the tragic death of a samurai lord's son.

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

This snack factory boasts several tributes to its popular line of rice crackers, including a quasi-shrine.

One in a pair of subterranean caves created by an ancient eruption of Mount Fuji.

The hometown of a beloved manga artist created a treasure hunt for his popular ghostly characters.

Founded in 1880, this humble brewery still practices a disappearing technique of sake-making.

Kawaii meets poisonous at this unique art gallery.

One of three official copies of Marcel Duchamp's enigmatic masterpiece is on display in an obscure Tokyo museum.

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

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

This museum is dedicated to the cultural history of tobacco and salt, once monopolized in Japan.

Museum dedicated to the largest battleship ever built.