Places loremipsum Wants to Go

Though not uncommon in western Japan, this Buddha cut out of an ancient sarcophagus is the only example in central Tokyo.

The predecessor to this bridge was depicted in a famous Japanese woodcut print that influenced Van Gogh.

A legend of a mysterious phantom train haunts this grave.

Overlooked by many, this tiny sacred island in Ueno Park only opens to the public every 12 days.

This lesser-visited gallery in a corner of the Tokyo National Museum complex is an architectural beauty dedicated to the ancient treasures of Hōryū-ji.

Installed in 1965, this whimsical slide has spawned a brood of “octopus mountains” across Japan.

A pair of rivaling shrines dedicated to Lady Oiwa, the most famous vengeful ghost in Japan.

Haunted by a giant white snake, this pond is said to bring the rain and pubic hair.

The origin of this bizarre, ghostly idol is a local mystery, even to the temple it calls home.

One of the best-preserved remains of "Tokyo's lost rivers."

An eclectic temple with Chinese architecture, Korean lion-dogs, an Indian god and a legendary 700-year-old tree.

The 650 red and white Japanese plum trees of this Tokyo neighborhood blossom each spring.

This 400-year-old noodle joint was once frequented by a fox-turned-monk, according to local folklore.

Rumored to be a giant robot in disguise, this colossal chef has been the beloved symbol of Tokyo’s kitchenware district for decades.

This park boasts a unusual collection of curious monuments from around the world, from Micronesia to Antarctica.

This tiny stone in a children's park is what remains of an ancient, once-worshipped object.

Tatar Russian in origin, the largest mosque in Japan is now an Ottoman-style Turkish culture center.

A cursed torii gate still stands on the edge of Haneda Airport, decades after its shrine's relocation.

Discover the mummified remains of Ancient Egypt in the middle of metropolitan Tokyo.

The train engine is tucked under an apartment building on a quiet Tokyo street.

Luminaries from Albert Einstein to John Lennon once had a cup of coffee at Tokyo's oldest café.

A sad reminder of the World War II bombing stands largely unnoticed on a street corner.

Unbeknownst to most passersby, this marble statue standing outside an office building is a genuine piece of second-century Rome.

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.