Places rubicat Wants to Go

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

The world’s first hotel to be run by robots.

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

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

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

Museum showcases Japanese sexuality and some amazing ocean views.

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life.

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

Meet the world's longest tapeworm in a collection that really gets under your skin.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

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

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.