Places shatteredpools Wants to Go

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

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

A cool dive bar, off the beaten track.

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

This “peasant café” in the middle of Tokyo re-creates the atmosphere of the Japanese countryside.

An architect transformed this abandoned cement factory into his castle-like workshop.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

Starship-temple contains 400 tons of drinking water and offers free Japanese lessons.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired 'Princess Mononoke.'

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

An enormous dragon scales the walls of this 17-story temple.

A white Buddhist temple with a golden restroom.

Every day a troupe of pampered water fowl walk the red carpet to their favorite fountain.

The wooden house where the jazz great learned to play the piano.

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

The latest in a series of long glass bridges suspended at terrifying heights.

One of the last remnants of the city's Chinese nightclub scene is now a dive bar selling killer mai tais.

Museum of stuffed gophers set up in various scenes.

A Surreal flight of architectural fancy in Vietnam's Central Highlands.

This Vietnamese bar doubles as a multistory labyrinth.

World's largest cave was only discovered in 1991, and now offers tours to the public.

Located off a bustling strip, a silent teahouse employs workers with hearing- or speech-related disabilities.