Places INK Wants to Go

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

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

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

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

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

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

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

The bartenders at this crime-fighting theme cafe are actual private detectives by day.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

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

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

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

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

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.”

One man's labor of love, Amman's oldest home has become a time capsule with its doors permanently open to artists and guests.

This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

The most gigantic, swoony, intimidating trio of fingers in all of antiquity.

A more chill but no less fascinating version of the famous ancient archeological site.

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years and harbors many surprises.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.