Places pierro69740 Wants to Go

A mystical shrine dedicated to a forest that once covered the area and the legendary fox spirit who lived there.

An unusual structure of stone and glass honoring one of Japan’s most eminent Christian leaders who founded the non-church movement.

Scale the heights of this 100-foot play space shaped like a ferocious dragon.

An eccentric castle with snake protectors and spectacular views of Beppu.

A whimsical shrine with a porcelain Torii gate, split in half by an active train line.

A bizarre assault of surreal art hiding in bushes and huts on a hill.

The former site of the U.S. military base redeveloped as an art district, boasting a collection of 109 public artworks from 36 countries.

This ornate example of 19th-century Chinese architecture is one of only a handful of Confucius shrines in Japan.

The site of a prehistoric settlement spanning millennia, complete with a reconstructed timber circle.

Feast your eyes on the centuries-old statues of the judges of hell.

A mysterious, perhaps haunted plot of land, untouched by modern development.

Associated with one of Japan's most famous fairy tales, this temple is home to a statue purportedly brought from the undersea palace of the Dragon God.

One of Japan’s oldest and largest cherry trees is said to have been planted by an ancient, heroic prince.

Celebrating the famous Nebuta festival of Aomori and showcasing its huge papier-mâché floats.

A sacred place for ascetic training, set in a honeycomb-walled cliffside cave deep in the woods.

A relatively young Buddhist temple on hilltop, dedicated to a statue relocated from Mount Atago.

This Spanish theme park stands out in the Japanese countryside.

Considered the oldest intact wooden structure in Tokyo Prefecture, this impressive temple was built in 1407.

No one knows why this family’s graves stayed on the national museum's premises after all other tombstones were relocated.

This ancient, tranquil shrine is the birthplace of ema prayer boards and the Ushi-no-toki-mairi curse ritual.

This church commemorates a venerable, yet nigh-forgotten woman who dedicated her life to the poor in post-war Tokyo.

Up on the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower sits an American mascot that became Osaka’s own lucky god.

Buddha figures are carved into volcanic rocks on the seashore of Yamagara Prefecture.

A giant statue of the Buddhist goddess of mercy watches over the town of Ōfuna.