Places crystalrock2000 Wants to Go

“Historical” markers commemorating the sites of fictional events depicted in a popular jidaigeki novel series.

Guarding the city of Chiyoda is a bizarre insectile creature with a name no one can pronounce.

This park boasts a unusual collection of curious monuments from around the world, from Micronesia to Antarctica.

This museum celebrates the history of Japanese advertising, from feudal business tricks to modern T.V. commercials.

Two ogres stand guard at the Oga Visitor Center.

This dazzling three-story shop showcases the art and history of music boxes, a popular novelty in Japan.

It is rumored that if you spot this little golden frog hiding in plain sight, good luck will come your way.

An open-air museum exhibiting a total of 52 century-old buildings, recreating Hokkaido’s “pioneer village.”

Thanks to wordplay, the earthquake-causing catfish monster has become a god of confidence at this shrine.

Considered an enigma by folklorists, an object of primitive animistic worship lives on in Yamanashi.

This atmospheric pre-war building is home to one of the few manually operated elevators left in Tokyo.

A hidden alley with seven corners and handmade cat decorations.

Home to a legend of the supernatural raccoon dog, a rare wooden structure of Edo, and witnesses of the Tokyo bombings.

Home to 800-year-old zen basin, a 400-year-old pilgrim’s path, and a century-old industrial grotto.

A collection of nearly 5,000 yokai-themed toys, sculptures, and more, dating from the 1700s to the present day.

Associated with Japanese folklore's most eminent sorcerer, this slab of rock is said to be both a blessing and a curse.

A glimpse into life in 1830s Tokyo, back during the heyday of the Tokugawa shogunate.

An ancient mountain-cut pass runs largely forgotten in the suburbs of Kamakura.

The northernmost of the 12 surviving feudal castles of Japan is known as a cherry blossom viewing spot.

The centuries-old cobblestones of a feudal highway remain in the woods of Hakone.

Dedicated to the history and culture of Japanese fishcake, this museum invites you to take part in its kamaboko-making workshop.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

Legend says the goddess this shrine honors curses any couples that pass by.