Places sawilliams Wants to Go

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

The cursed island of black pebbles.

A condom-covered Thai restaurant that is more concerned with birth control than food.

A modern temple with an ancient philosophy.

Thailand's distressed elephants find peace at this Chiang Mai sanctuary.

A tall karst islet popularized by 007.

At the right time of day, sunlight floods through the roof of this cave and illuminates the small pavilion hidden within.

The site where the famous city gate once stood, now in the middle of a playground.

A wooden prison doesn't sound like a good idea, yet this abandoned 1950s detention center still stands today.

Approximately 300 million years ago, a massive coral reef existed in what is now the largest limestone cave in Japan.

These wondrously illuminated caverns extend under the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture.

A mysterious set of tunnels carved in the hills of rural northern Kyushu.

This historic hydroelectric power plant in Japan has been preserved and is open to the public.

A small island with no monkeys but plenty of military ruins.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

This Japanese national treasure was originally built in 593.

Experience park where visitors are told to expect the unexpected.

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.

A working ranch doubles as a sustainable hub for world-renowned classical music and large-scale sculptures.

Bad farming practices caused this unnatural natural wonder.

This mysterious twin turboprop Grumman G-159 covered in graffiti has spent a decade and a half abandoned.

Journey through a bit of nostalgia inside this classic record and video store.

The inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft's horror stories and Batman's Arkham Asylum is now a condominium complex.