Places CShigeoK Wants to Go

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

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.

This active volcano's siren song to suicide jumpers forced authorities to build a fence.

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

Historical Japanese-Dutch relations are honored with haunted rides and flower fields in this replica town.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

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

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

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

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

Japan's largest area of "pink moss" turns the hillside bright pink every spring.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

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

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.

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

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

Serving you alcohol with a side of insanity. Also, costumes!