Places marilynljanes Wants to Go

A giant gorilla guardian of the neighborhood, warning people to drive safely.

A hidden gallery exhibits intricate, decades-old Buddhist reliefs.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

Life-sized statues of two characters from a decades-long Japanese film series stand outside Shibamata station.

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

The bamboo that helped Thomas Edison develop a longlasting lightbulb.

One of the largest producers of MSG in the world welcomes visitors to its Kawasaki factory with an albino panda named Aji-Kun.

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

A legend of a mysterious phantom train haunts this grave.

Watch out for the two-story Godzilla made out of tires.

The headquarters of one of Japan’s leading astronomy research institutions features several historic observatory facilities and a 2,000-year-old burial mound.

All 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are depicted in anthropomorphized deity form.

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

A rare double-receiver payphone housed in a fake tree.

The lesser-known eastern counterpart to Kyoto’s famous fox shrine.

Home to a legend of the supernatural raccoon dog, a rare wooden structure of Edo, and witnesses of the Tokyo bombings.

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.

This iconic sluice gate is a favorite haunt for joggers, fishing enthusiasts, and even ghost hunters.

Once known for its eerie appearance, this semicircular monument is all that remains of a Tokyo industrial icon.

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

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

This abandoned, spaceship-like building is home to a museum so unpopular that it has been put on hiatus for over two decades.

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

This giant two-tier celebration cake serves as a befitting advert for the confectionery college it sits on top of.