Places jgallagherm Wants to Go

A culturally significant rural temple in the beautiful mountains of Itoshima.

Kawaii meets poisonous at this unique art gallery.

This massive, Edo Period, coin-shaped sand painting is believed to be a source of great luck.

The former home of queer novelist Yoshiya Nobuko memorializes her contributions to modern-day manga.

This strange mural located in the Ueno station is filled with traditional Japanese symbolism.

The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.

The largest archaeological site from the Yayoi period.

This battleship of a building was designed by a famed "mad architect."

This phallic temple was erected in the forest to honor the tragic death of a samurai lord's son.

Its collection distills more than 60 years of pop culture in Japan, from Godzilla to Hulk Hogan.

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

Japan's longest-running music festival takes place on an isolated butterfly-shaped island.

Founded in 1880, this humble brewery still practices a disappearing technique of sake-making.

A charming, homemade vending machine dispenses burgers and sandwiches at this hole-in-the-wall bakery.

Visitors to this park are welcomed by an ancient Japanese megalithic tomb that dates back to the sixth century.

Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.

The last remaining pre-dreadnought battleship in the world has been a museum for nearly a century.

Fans line up at the crack of dawn for a slurpy bowl of deliciousness at this noodle counter inside a factory.

This quirky little private museum is home to more than a thousand stones, carved by nature, that resemble human faces.

A rare example of an ancient Japanese hill castle believed to be the fortress of a legendary demon.

A collection of the specialized tools used to construct Japan’s beautiful architecture.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.