Places kspl Wants to Go

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

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

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

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

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

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

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

A stunning, storied set of waterfalls you can walk to from the city’s main train station in less than 15 minutes

The first and oldest mosque in Japan.

This Western confectionery in Kobe made the German tree stump cake into a Japanese staple.

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

A relatively young Buddhist temple on hilltop, dedicated to a statue relocated from Mount Atago.

A museum run by retired highway engineers who helped rebuild after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

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

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

A 59-ft. robot statue looks over the citizens of earthquake-ravaged Kobe.

An abandoned Art Deco hotel nestled on the side of a wooded mountain.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.