Places pingophone Wants to Go

A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired 'Princess Mononoke.'

Japan Railways' southernmost train station offers a view of a volcano and a mailbox said to grant happiness.

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.

They say the internet is forever but just in case, the shiba inu behind an iconic meme has been immortalized in bronze.

View Japan's most historic city from a cyberpunk walkway suspended 150 feet above the ground.

The only natural gorge in metropolitan Tokyo, with lots of greenery and ancient burial chambers.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.

A mountaintop shrine-temple guarded by a horde of half-demon priests.

A narrow, dead-end alley hides with a small fox shrine and the untold history of Yokohama's historic red-light district.

Home to thousands of dolls from around the world, including the "blue-eyed dolls" that came to Japan as American ambassadors.

In the oldest zen temple stands a descendant of the very tree that introduced tea to Japanese culture.

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.

Located in a remote mountain valley in Yamagata Prefecture, these hot springs have attracted bathers for over 450 years.

A sad reminder of the World War II bombing stands largely unnoticed on a street corner.

Birthplace of the Tendai sect and home to the marathon monks.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

One of the few surviving World War II-era air-raid shelters in Tokyo.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.

The tallest city hall in the world offers an excellent bento box.

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.

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