Places marilynljanes Wants to Go

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.

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

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

This quirky collection of furniture also happens to be a public art installation.

One of the top 100 sights of feudal Tokyo continues to impress those who visit the lesser temples of Ueno.

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

A restaurant modeled after feudal Japan, where the waitstaff are trained as ninjas.

You can receive a blessing for your electronics at this Shinto shrine near Akihabara.

This shrine, built to protect against destructive waves, is home to two monumental lion heads.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.

Steampunk, humanoid sculptures crawl on all fours in a Tokyo plaza.

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

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

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

Tell this pair of "love-inviting" cats in Ginza your romantic hopes.

Inspired by the famous sculptures on Easter Island, this head serves as a popular meeting spot by Shibuya Station.

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

An unexpected curiosity cabinet hidden within a department store in the Japan Post tower.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

This tiny museum hidden above a restaurant houses thousands of modern and traditional kites.