Places lmack Wants to Go

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

Dedicated to the armor and weapons used by the legendary Japanese warriors.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

The small candy-colored ride is the last rooftop Ferris wheel in Tokyo.

It's bad manners to eat and drink on the subways of Tokyo, unless the train is this bar. 

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

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

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

Cheap pizza and all of your naughty bedroom needs housed in a stunning example of Art Nouveau architecture.

Waterway populated with abandoned projects, including a submarine.

This narrow shop in the East Village hosts a matchmaking service for the new millennium.

A posh members-only club with a literally dramatic history.

This outdoor gallery of graffiti-covered walls pays homage to the past, present, and possible future of street art.

A monument to the love people have for their pets.

Just one of many oranges on this citrus-happy continent.

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

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

This spa theme park lets its guests take a dip in pools of coffee, wine, or ramen broth.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

Every spring, this walkway outside the Japan Mint turns into a cherry blossom tunnel.

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.