Places poetryinsilence Wants to Go

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

A tiny street lined with eleven distinct Tanuki statues, each representing a different wish.

For hundreds of years, participants in this Japanese festival have been making babies cry to ward off demons.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

Tragic reminders of the 1945 firebombing campaign over Tokyo still haunt this bridge.

According to local legend, an ancient serial killer nicknamed the “Hag” once haunted this pond.

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

A small museum in a ward on the east side of Tokyo showcases the works of one of Japan's greatest ukiyo-e artists.

Rice balls symbolize fate and relationship at this adorable shrine, which was once dedicated to the Buddhist Devil.

This water goblin statue represents a 19th-century urban legend about a haunted canal that became a Japanese idiom.

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.

This museum is dedicated to the cultural history of tobacco and salt, once monopolized in Japan.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

A restaurant with an extensive Irish whiskey bar also has several first editions of famous works by Irish authors.

This statue celebrating everyday life in Dublin has a few unsavory nicknames.

A mysterious plaque to the even more mysterious "Fr. Pat Noise," killed in "suspicious circumstances."

The modern birthplace of Irish freedom.

Amidst the bustling streets of Dublin, there is a hushed garden that is dedicated to "All those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom."

The mummified heart of a saint lives on in this church—after a brief hiatus when it was stolen.

Experience what life was like in Ireland during the Viking and medieval ages.

An 80-year-old plane tree is devouring an iron bench at Ireland's oldest law school.

An Irish church where an 800-year-old mummy is reaching out of his coffin as if to shake hands.

The enchanting archway is the only surviving portal into Dublin’s lost medieval wall.