Places Egao Wants to Go

The seat of the lost Ryukyu Kingdom has survived numerous fires and wars over the centuries.

A trio of keyhole-shaped burial mounds restored to their ancient glory.

The largest of its kind in Japan, this century-old wasabi farm is also known for its appearance in an Akira Kurosawa film.

Composed of scrap metal, a pair of platform-length murals chronicle Japan’s history, from the Big Bang to the development of modern Tokyo.

This quirky collection of furniture also happens to be a public art installation.

Access to this hidden site of a 14th-century mass suicide is prohibited, unless it is to pray for the dead.

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

This infamous execution site inspired the beginning of Japan's modernization in the late 18th-century.

A site where ten to twenty thousand Edo-era prisoners were put to death.

Running through lush forests and across the Tadami River, this train line offers breathtaking views of rural Japan.

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.

The only Edo-period ferry that is still in operation in Tokyo today.

This small park holds what remains of a former prison and execution ground.

The birthplace of Japanese coinage.

A statue meant to celebrate peace has also been interpreted as a mother taking away her son's internet privileges.

For centuries, this gold mine was the powerhouse behind the Tokugawa Shogunate.

A cursed torii gate still stands on the edge of Haneda Airport, decades after its shrine's relocation.

The oldest academic institution in Japan provides a glimpse of university life during the days of the samurai.

An exact replica of Bill Clinton's childhood home stands within a resort in Japan.

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

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

A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

This ancient burial cave along a roadside is also home to several Buddhist sculptures.