Places marilynljanes Wants to Go

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

This gnome sculpture and his wonderous hat forces train passengers to do a double-take.

Outside of where Tsukiji Market once stood, these memorials honor the spirits of the fallen fish, shrimp, and eggs used for nigiri.

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

A flight of this "ghost staircase" has 40 steps on the way up, but only 39 steps on the way down.

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

A lonely chimpanzee lures you into a narrow alley leading to this hidden shrine.

A precursor to Taro Okamoto’s iconic Tower of the Sun.

Japan’s tallest Godzilla statue contains a piece of the original 1954 film within its base.

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

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

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

Starship-temple contains 400 tons of drinking water and offers free Japanese lessons.

A hole-in-the-wall antiquities museum in one of Tokyo's most popular megamalls.

Dedicated to the victims of a phantom slasher, this memorial is claimed by some to be the source of a deadly curse.

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

Japan's iconic sci-fi hero rendered to 8-bit by notorious French street artist Invader.

Sidle into a side alley for a taste of sumo wrestlers' traditional hot-pot soup, in a tiny restaurant founded by a former competitor.

Only recently added to the shrine, this googly-eyed snail demon of unknown origin is said to have eye-healing powers.

The world's largest permanent architectural projection display entertains audiences nightly with 28-story light shows.

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

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

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