Places shimbini Wants to Go

This futuristic-looking museum was built for the centennial of Japan's most innovative toilet.

The site of a famous samurai duel.

This enormous "shamoji" means more to the people of Miyajima than just a way getting rice onto a plate.

Tracking the 1,500-year history of Korea's star cabbage.

The site of the last royal wedding in Korea.

This pagoda was once the central feature of a Buddhist temple that no longer exists.

One man's lifetime collection of tiny objects of wisdom gathered from around the world, on display for public enjoyment.

The supreme shrine of the state.

About as hidden as can be, this specialty coffee shop is wedged between multi-story buildings at the end of a dark, skinny alleyway in Seoul.

The headquarters of Korea’s provisional government later became the site of a prominent statesman's assassination.

A remnant of Korea's colonial past lies forgotten in a hip neighborhood in Seoul.

The world's longest bridge fountain has hundreds of nozzles that create a beautiful, illuminated spectacle.

The burial ground of two kings and a queen is now a calm city park in the middle of bustling Seoul.

Collected from all around Seoul, thousands of secondhand books create this photogenic tunnel.

Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park.

The largest cluster of the Joseon dynasty’s royal tombs, home to the burial sites of 17 kings and queens.

The name of the only golden Buddhist temple in Korea translates as "the temple that protects the country."

Seoul amusement park boasts a Korean-speaking pachyderm.

The toilet-shaped house of South Korea's sanitation pioneer is now a museum to the john.

This quirky Korean eatery is built to resemble an equally quirky vintage camera.

Asia's largest limestone cave is home to a world of plastic goblins and gold mining history.

A Korean rock bassist's wild dream has become a reality at this completely insane boutique hotel.

Along a rail-biking route, giant insects house a two-story restaurant.

The darkest building on Earth was built for the snow-white scenery of the 2018 Winter Olympics.