Places RakelOm Wants to Go

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

This bizarre residential building is the masterpiece of Von Jour Caux, the “Gaudí of Japan.”

A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

This statue of a deified “hag” is said to protect children from the common cold and coughing fits.

An adorable intake tower with a “witch hat” stands in the Edo River.

Walls of VHS tapes adorn this Golden Gai B horror movie themed bar.

The 650 red and white Japanese plum trees of this Tokyo neighborhood blossom each spring.

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

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

Visit a speakeasy-like indie cinema specializing in 16mm and 35mm films.

Japan's first automaton went missing, only to be revived by the Osaka Science Museum.

Stretching for 22 miles, the world's longest tree-lined avenue dates back to the early 17th-century.

This western-themed amusement park is host to a large number of decaying animatronic cowboys.

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

In the former treasury of a popular temple, a rare sculptural depiction of Kannon’s diverse avatars.

It is said that coins washed in the waters here will miraculously multiply.

An ancient Greek physician is honored as a god at this hole-in-the-wall shrine.

Visitors to this museum will discover that kaleidoscopes are much more than toys.

The famed architect designed this Minnesota gas station of the future with a lookout tower.

This iconic “station bento” comes in an earthenware pot you can take home and repurpose.

Sip cherry liqueur at a bar dating back to 1840.

This pub has roots dating back to 1430 and serves as the setting for multiple Charles Dickens stories.

This 24-hour vending machine serves up homemade treats inspired by the local Japanese snow monkeys.

Fans line up at the crack of dawn for a slurpy bowl of deliciousness at this noodle counter inside a factory.