Places toochickens Wants to Go

This retro izakaya street is a unique legacy of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Take a lick of the legendary homemade miso paste that protected this Buddhist temple’s scrolls from a fire centuries ago.

Over 80 years old, this hand-dug tunnel is a Chinese-style portal to another world.

An ancient mountain-cut pass runs largely forgotten in the suburbs of Kamakura.

For half a century, this Arabian-inspired retro café has been an oasis for locals in Okinawa’s central tourist area.

This quaint mountain pass with centuries-old cobblestones is known as Japan's steepest slope.

This unusual "magical shrine" honors a legendary raccoon-dog god that stowed away to Japan from some far-off land.

Home to 800-year-old zen basin, a 400-year-old pilgrim’s path, and a century-old industrial grotto.

Once a huge limestone cave that collapsed thousands of years ago, this scenic ravine is also an important archaeological site.

One of the top 100 sights of feudal Tokyo continues to impress those who visit the lesser temples of Ueno.

A bizarre, tuberculosis sanatorium-themed café moonlighting as an underground art gallery.

An eerie cluster of medieval cave-like tombs carved out of a cliff, hidden in a historic mountain pass.

A bizarre statue of a Buddhist goddess made from 20,000 insects.

The centuries-old cobblestones of a feudal highway remain in the woods of Hakone.

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

Try maple leaf tempura at the trailside shop that brought it back from oblivion.

The former site of Fukuoka’s legendary ramen joint works hard to guide customers to the “original” original.

This iconic “station bento” comes in an earthenware pot you can take home and repurpose.

This unique museum explores the world of Japanese demons and spirits.

In 806, Kobo Daishi began meditating on Mount Misen. The Buddhist monk lit this holy fire, which has been kept burning for 1,200 years.

A nondescript building is home to a one-room museum filled with an overwhelming array of art and objects.

High in the trees or suspended between cables, these surreal structures are the works of a unique Japanese architect.

This 400-year-old noodle joint was once frequented by a fox-turned-monk, according to local folklore.

A stretch of the Iwai River that features beautiful rocky cliffs, rapids, and flying dango.