Places Hikari Wants to Go

A touching statue dedicated to Japan's first therapy dog.

Exploring crime and punishment in feudal and pre-modern Japan.

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

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

This tiny stone in a children's park is what remains of an ancient, once-worshipped object.

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

Tell this pair of "love-inviting" cats in Ginza your romantic hopes.

This water goblin statue represents a 19th-century urban legend about a haunted canal that became a Japanese idiom.

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

A hole-in-the-wall antiquities museum in one of Tokyo's most popular megamalls.

This shrine dedicated to a legendary swordsman has become a pilgrimage site for the ill and infirmed.

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

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.

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.”

A British Commonwealth cemetery in the heart of Milan, with 421 allied soldiers died during World War II.

Nestled in the heart of Milan is a real wunderkammer of morbid curiosities.

The enigmatic sculpture hides above an escalator in a Milan metro station.

Artistic tombs, monuments, and a beautiful "Hall of Fame" lurk inside this cemetery.

The train platform where Jews were sent to concentration camps is now preserved as a Holocaust memorial.

This poignant art installation raises awareness of violence against women.