Places zichk Wants to Go

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

The world's largest drain sits below the city of Kasukabe, Japan.

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.

Abandoned Japanese ghost town gives a glimpse into what our own metropolises may leave behind.

Starship-temple contains 400 tons of drinking water and offers free Japanese lessons.

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

Japanese company creates clone dolls that reside in the "uncanny valley."

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.

Experience park where visitors are told to expect the unexpected.

Once the most densely populated place in the world, this island is now a ghost town.

A mostly desolate bar on a remote island hosts hundreds of sailors for a few days each year.

This Indonesian village was revitalized by a vibrant rainbow paint job.

Thousands of exquisitely carved stone water storage wells, hundreds of stone steps fill this exquisite medieval stepwell.

This supermarket in Shanghai appears to be a typical Chinese convenience store, but all of the bottles are empty and all the containers are filled with nothing but air.

Lifelike statue of the Chinese philosopher in the bathtub.

The birthplace of modern China.

This theme park presents 5,000 years of Shanghai history and includes a "sunken" exhibition hall.

This under-visited temple is nestled within one of Shanghai's traditional shikumen-style residential blocks.

A giant scale model giving a sneak peek at what urban planners see for Shanghai by 2020.

A son-and-daughter meat market, hawked by mom and dad.

A naturally beautiful, seemingly bottomless deep blue spring.

Explore a traditional Albanian dwelling that pays tribute to the region's rich history.

While you wait to cross the street at a traffic light in Mainz, you might notice that the light is staring back at you.