Places GRH Wants to Go

Japan's first train station is also the site of Godzilla's first destructive visit to the nation.

A remote and slightly overgrown park filled with replicas of world landmarks.

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.

This whimsical garbage disposal facility receives around 12,000 accidental tourists each year.

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

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

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

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

This enormous "shamoji" means more to the people of Miyajima than just a way getting rice onto a plate.

In 806, Kobo Daishi began meditating on Mount Misen. The Buddhist monk lit this holy fire, which has been kept burning for 1,200 years.

A vibrant, 100-foot-tall mural dedicated to Evelyn Nesbit, the tragic icon of the Gilded Age.

The groundbreaking Japanese shrine maiden who invented the art of kabuki.

Overlooked by many, this tiny sacred island in Ueno Park only opens to the public every 12 days.

This monument celebrates this shopping district's past history as a feudal silver mint.

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

A 14th-century European chapel sticks out of the facade of a Japanese hotel.

A striking depiction of Teotihuacan's mysterious "Spider Woman."

In 1857, the Mardi Gras parade tradition began at this intersection.

A spiritual sanctuary in a natural cave.

A less famous, short-lived meeting spot of the Inklings.

Archeologists can't decide if these two hand-holding skeletons were brothers or lovers.

Tucked away in a London Tube station, this 1920s linear clock shows the time across the world all at once.