Places jenmcdonald Wants to Go

Kawaii meets poisonous at this unique art gallery.

It's bad manners to eat and drink on the subways of Tokyo, unless the train is this bar. 

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

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

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

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

This Japanese national treasure was originally built in 593.

Hanging over one of Japan’s “hidden valleys,” these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

The fierce beast perches atop a pedestal marking where the historic City of London gates once stood.

Classic game cookery takes center stage at what's widely considered London's oldest restaurant.

Following the trail of an old metro line, this scenic path is haunted by a creepy spriggan statue.

This museum tucked below a charming cafe gives a brief snapshot of photographic history.

A relic of Victorian grandeur hides beneath a busy South London road.

This secluded walkway overlooks a magnificently wild London green space.