Places FionaQOTW Wants to Go

The former home of queer novelist Yoshiya Nobuko memorializes her contributions to modern-day manga.

This frescoed ancient burial mound is a colorful window into China’s influence in early Japan.

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

This incredible mountainside temple is home to intriguing statues of demon-like creatures.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.

Ruins and statues dot the landscape of this tiny island rich with royal history.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.

The divine septet of Japanese fortune gods are rendered in 1,000-year-old wood at this peaceful site.

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

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

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

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

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

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

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.

Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

Go through the looking glass in Tokyo's Wonderland-themed shop.

One of Japan's most famous sights, the bridge was originally built in 1673.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.