Places NixOfNowhere Wants to Go

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

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

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

These medieval stone-cut Buddhist statues may protect visitors from being fired.

Hidden by the roadside in the Iya Valley, this gem brings together folk monsters and the region's unique geography.

At the "fishing boat shrine," an offering is said to help ward off fevers.

Plagued with warts? Leave a frog at this small shrine in the city of Tosa, and you may be cured.

Though it won't take you far, the wood train housed at this station is the last of its kind in Japan.

High in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture, a magnificent library designed by a world-famous architect.

A whimsical museum dedicated to the mischievous kappa, a mythical cucumber-loving water sprite.

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.

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

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

According to local folklore, a demon left his handprints on these boulders, which became the prefecture’s namesake.

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.

Abandoned Japanese ghost town gives a glimpse into what our own metropolises may leave behind.

Legend says that a swarm of centipedes and snakes once crawled out of the tomb of this cursed princess.

Visitors are encouraged to fish for water goblins at this haunted pool.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.