Places ellierae Wants to Go

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

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

The tallest city hall in the world offers an excellent bento box.

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.

Ever needed a chocolate-filled crepe in the wee hours of the morning?

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.

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

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired 'Princess Mononoke.'

A pair of giant legs paying homage to a poem, a king, and it would seem, socks.

It specializes in outsider art and artifacts of secret societies.

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the “Golden Age” of the American automobile.

In one Chicago park, a trio of werewolves are waiting to devour their fallen brethren.

Symbolic attempt to overcome the issues of life.

Admire the art and then buy a raccoon skull cleaned by flesh-eating beetles.

An architecturally-focused antique shop.

Walking around West Harlem reveals a scavenger hunt of beautiful bird murals.