Places melissah Wants to Go

An exhibit tracing Japan's cinematic history in an often-overlooked national museum.

Since 1887, this old-school shop has stacked its shelves with extraordinary coffees and teas.

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.

This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

The divine septet of Japanese fortune gods are rendered in 1,000-year-old wood at this peaceful site.

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

This reconstructed castle was once the base of the “Devil King” who almost united the feudal warring states.

A replica of an ancient alien-like idol humorously represents spectacles in a corner of this shrine complex.

The world’s second-largest flood defense barrier has protected London for decades.

One of the last soy sauce-makers in Hong Kong has been in the artisanal condiment business since 1917.

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

Cat art as far as the eye can see.

This tower is one of the best-preserved (and least-visited) remnants of medieval Paris.

One of London's lost rivers runs through a pipe over the tracks of this subway station.

Order a boozy baba au rhum at the oldest patisserie in Paris.

A glimpse into life in 1830s Tokyo, back during the heyday of the Tokugawa shogunate.

This third-generation institution is one of the last in London that still cures its own salt beef for epic sandwiches.

Grab a life-changing ham sandwich at this former horse butchershop.

Fully loaded, Tunisian-style sandwiches are on the menu at this unassuming hole-in-the-wall.

Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park.

These rose marble urinals are the most luxurious loos in Liverpool.

With no menu and no sign, this 130-year-old taverna doles out affordable home cooking.

After 400 years of being closed to the public, this monastery's underground tunnels and secret garden are now a museum.

A favorite haunt of Delhi's politicos and intellectuals, this old-school coffee shop was shut down under Indira Gandhi's Emergency.