Places RakelOm Wants to Go

Japan's longest-running music festival takes place on an isolated butterfly-shaped island.

A touching statue dedicated to Japan's first therapy dog.

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

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.

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

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.

Once the main gateway to Tokyo, sneaking through this checkpoint was a capital offense in feudal times.

The only Edo-period ferry that is still in operation in Tokyo today.

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

These seven moai figures are the world's only sanctioned replicas of the Easter Island originals.

One of the bloodiest and most important battles in Japanese history is recreated with kitschy concrete statues.

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

This mysterious medieval grotto holds a grid of sacred wells of unknown purpose.

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

More than 300 years old, Kyoto's historic "teahouse" still operates as an invitation-only geisha club.

This amusement park brings a little slice of England to the heart of Kyushu.

Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.

When this massive wooden temple ran out of rope, they made one out of devotees' hair.

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.

"Singing sands" and the world's largest hourglass reside near Japan's Kotogahama beach.