Places kathykate Wants to Go

This statue of Buddha has a distinctive hairstyle meant to represent an unfathomably long period of meditation.

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.

A nondescript building is home to a one-room museum filled with an overwhelming array of art and objects.

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

Have a soak at this retro bathhouse, where you will find Japan's first electric bath, tiling from Spain, and wood carvings representing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

A strip of traditional hand towel serves as an admission ticket at this modern tenugui museum.

Sip “liquid cuisine” made with meat, vegetables, and insects.

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

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

The site where the famous city gate once stood, now in the middle of a playground.

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.

Visitors to this temple are greeted by a massive collection of wooden dolls said to bring good fortune.

One of the world's largest ancient burial mounds.

An abandoned giant glass dome sits in the bay in “the Venice of the East.”

This whimsical garbage disposal facility receives around 12,000 accidental tourists each year.

This bathhouse includes an option to soak in radioactive water.

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.

Near the mouth of the Yodo River, this museum offers visitors six floors of hands-on learning about Osaka's raw sewage.

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

Visit a speakeasy-like indie cinema specializing in 16mm and 35mm films.

A 14th-century European chapel sticks out of the facade of a Japanese hotel.

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

The history of the plush toy and South Korea collected under one roof.

South Korea's women of the sea have completely flipped their society's structure by becoming revered fisherwomen.