Places SVSCPM Wants to Go

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

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

The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

An indigenous ethnobotanist runs this brunch spot celebrating Australia’s native flavors.

One of several Lilliputian portals that are ready to transport passengers to other dimensions, if they can find them.

Small Easter eggs are hidden in the ventilation holes of the city's newest trains.

A charming museum of natural history featuring dioramas and exhibits made entirely by college students.

This cheese shop also houses a museum devoted to Dutch dairy.

This bird-loving brewery is situated in an old municipal bathhouse, nestled beside a 300-year-old windmill.

An ancient passage filled with stalls selling used books, once frequented by Vincent Van Gogh.

An English explorer's vast natural history collection has the first realistic dioramas of animals staged in their natural habitats.

This ancient rock shelter features cave art and is one of the most culturally important sites in the country.