Places mooseontheloose Wants to Go

This ancient burial site was once thought to be the home of a race distinctive to Ainu folklore.

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.

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

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

An abandoned Art Deco hotel nestled on the side of a wooded mountain.

A remote and slightly overgrown park filled with replicas of world landmarks.

Shrine dedicated to boars that is believed to cure foot and leg injuries.

This high-design church is made up of two dizzying spirals meant to evoke the weaving together of marriage.

Make your own fake treats at this factory and workshop in the epicenter of Japan's food replica industry.

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.

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

The ruins of Japan’s premier water brothel.

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

Children's literature inside, forest all around.

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

This ruined Japanese stripclub sits half burnt to the ground.

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

Japan's largest area of "pink moss" turns the hillside bright pink every spring.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.