Places stephaniewade56 Wants to Go

Picturesque and haunting, these 160-year-old stone ruins on top of a bluff are the only remains of a settler's legacy.

A remnant of the last Ice Age, this lake is surrounded by fascinating rock formations.

This research center for rare prosimians is studying how they sleep to help prolong human life.

The remains of the Minatogawa Man found here are among the oldest known skeleton specimens from Japan.

According to Japanese mythology, the first rice paddy in history was created here many aeons ago.

A mountain demon once helped a local villager construct a canal, after which he sat on this oak tree to rest.

Reaching Japan’s “most dangerous shrine” means climbing a vertical cliff.

A peaceful place to spot the rare and iconic red-crowned crane.

At this Neolithic site, the remains of ancient humans have been found alongside the bones of the toxic fugu pufferfish.

Fanatical collections of vintage toys, dolls, clothes, and objects.

These medieval wooden bridge pillars appeared out of nowhere in the aftermath of a huge earthquake.

Though not uncommon in western Japan, this Buddha cut out of an ancient sarcophagus is the only example in central Tokyo.

Located in the large-scale shopping mall is an otherwise unassuming aquarium featuring species native to Okinawa waters.

This ornate example of 19th-century Chinese architecture is one of only a handful of Confucius shrines in Japan.

An old woman cured cholera in the 1820s and now her grave is said to be the city’s most cursed object.

A slope with a mysterious name recalls a discontinued pre-war energy drink.

A major Japanese execution ground site from the Middle Ages.

The predecessor to this bridge was depicted in a famous Japanese woodcut print that influenced Van Gogh.

The eerie, tragic setting of one of Japan’s most popular ghost stories.

One of Japan’s oldest and largest cherry trees is said to have been planted by an ancient, heroic prince.

Considered the oldest intact wooden structure in Tokyo Prefecture, this impressive temple was built in 1407.

Secret tunnels leading to underground facilities lurk near the remains of a World War II-era Japanese Navy airbase.

A single block in this stone staircase to the temple is mysteriously always wet.

A romantic escape inspired by the legend of a child-eating five-headed dragon.