Places Kan Cho Wants to Go

Associated with Japanese folklore's most eminent sorcerer, this slab of rock is said to be both a blessing and a curse.

In a shopping arcade, a modernized temple deeply tied to feudal Japan’s prominent warlords.

A rare public effigy of “the Embracing Kangiten,” the erotic Japanese equivalent of Hindu god Ganesha.

The Port of Yokohama’s customs headquarters building resembles a Moorish kasbah, complete with a minaret.

A slope with a mysterious name recalls a discontinued pre-war energy drink.

An unassuming set of tiles next to a mailbox mark the former location of one of the most famous springs in the city.

The largest example of the “snail well” unique to the Musashino Plateau region.

At this Neolithic site, the remains of ancient humans have been found alongside the bones of the toxic fugu pufferfish.

Over 80 years old, this hand-dug tunnel is a Chinese-style portal to another world.

This reconstructed castle was once the base of the “Devil King” who almost united the feudal warring states.

The location of the site of one of the defining battles of feudal Japan is being fought over by two neighboring cities.

This glass wall is gradually filling up with paper cranes, in honor of Hiroshima’s past and dedication to its future.

A romantic escape inspired by the legend of a child-eating five-headed dragon.

A replica of an ancient alien-like idol humorously represents spectacles in a corner of this shrine complex.

Dedicated to humankind's achievements in aviation, this Shintō shrine is notable for its Greek-style architecture and collection of aircrafts.

Associated with one of Japan's most famous fairy tales, this temple is home to a statue purportedly brought from the undersea palace of the Dragon God.

The alleged site of the months-long imprisonment of a Japanese prince.

This massive section of quay destroyed by an earthquake is preserved to remember the past.

The legendary Japanese filmmaker’s tombstone is marked by a single letter meaning “nothing," and bottles of sake.

A mysterious, perhaps haunted plot of land, untouched by modern development.

Feast your eyes on the centuries-old statues of the judges of hell.

The preserved ruins of the Hōjō clan’s palatial estate, hidden in the basement of a tourist information center.

A giant gorilla guardian of the neighborhood, warning people to drive safely.

Japan Railways' southernmost train station offers a view of a volcano and a mailbox said to grant happiness.