Places laggingtail Wants to Go

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

A network of ancient tunnels and vaulted chambers with mystical Buddhist reliefs, built for ascetic training.

The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.

A bizarre statue of a Buddhist goddess made from 20,000 insects.

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

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

Enjoy a flaming concoction steeped in steampunk, magic, and alchemy at this experimental cocktail bar.

Model trains whizz around an extensive room-sized diorama of Kyoto City.

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

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

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.

This unique museum explores the world of Japanese demons and spirits.

In a rural Japanese town that has committed to sustainable practices, even the hotel is made from recycled materials.

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

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

This extremely naked God of Drunkards welcomes visitors to Kochi Station.

A whimsical museum dedicated to the mischievous kappa, a mythical cucumber-loving water sprite.

It is rumored that if you spot this little golden frog hiding in plain sight, good luck will come your way.

Below a historic English market town lies a secret underground city complete with kitchens, laundries, storerooms, and an underground lake.

Historical Japanese-Dutch relations are honored with haunted rides and flower fields in this replica town.

The world’s first hotel to be run by robots.

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.