Places gitteschmitz Wants to Go

This museum details the history of a local miracle: The return of the critically endangered black-footed ferret, which was once believed to be extinct.

One man's ambition created this psychedelic log home.

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

The site of a Japanese traders’ settlement that once thrived in Ayutthaya, if for less than a century.

This museum is dedicated to the cultural history of tobacco and salt, once monopolized in Japan.

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

Discover the past, present, and future of packaging in this unique Japanese museum.

A museum dedicated to the history of Tokyo's often-overlooked working-class district.

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

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

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

Founded in 1880, this humble brewery still practices a disappearing technique of sake-making.

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

These sculptures were created by a 17th-century artist who had never seen an elephant.

The site of Japan's first major environmental disaster.

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.

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

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

"Bug Bug" Land, a natural park for beetle watching, still hasn't fully recovered from Fukushima's nuclear disaster.

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

Ward off bad luck and fill your bottle with "the most watery water" at this little roadside shrine in Yonezawa.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.