Places hotpants038 Wants to Go

These wondrously illuminated caverns extend under the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture.

This high-design church is made up of two dizzying spirals meant to evoke the weaving together of marriage.

This traditional Japanese-style house doubles as one of James Turrell's colorful works of art.

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

A 59-ft. robot statue looks over the citizens of earthquake-ravaged Kobe.

A small Japanese village claims to be the final resting place of the son of God (and God's other son's ear).

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

Approximately 300 million years ago, a massive coral reef existed in what is now the largest limestone cave in Japan.

An abandoned Art Deco hotel nestled on the side of a wooded mountain.

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare enter it.

This bridge is so steep it looks like a rollercoaster.

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

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.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

Children's literature inside, forest all around.

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

This town near Nagasaki is flecked with fruit-flavored bus stops.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

This active volcano's siren song to suicide jumpers forced authorities to build a fence.

You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.

Each year this Japanese temple overflows with scowling, bearded good luck talismans.

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.