Nikko, Japan
'Imaginary Elephants'
These sculptures were created by a 17th-century artist who had never seen an elephant.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Nikko, Japan
Three Wise Monkeys of Tōshōgū Shrine
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Nikko, Japan
'Nemuri-Neko' ('The Sleeping Cat')
Is this cat asleep or just pretending?
Tokyo, Japan
Vampire Café
A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.
Tokyo, Japan
The Asahi Flame
This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."
Tokyo, Japan
Godzilla Head
Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.
Tokyo, Japan
Myth of Tomorrow
After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.
Tokyo, Japan
Omoide Yokocho
Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”
Tokyo, Japan
Moyai
Inspired by the famous sculptures on Easter Island, this head serves as a popular meeting spot by Shibuya Station.
Tokyo, Japan
Ekibenya Matsuri
A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.
Nara, Japan
Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)
This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Ikaruga, Japan
Hōryū-ji
Home to the world's oldest wooden building.
Nara, Japan
Buddha's Nostril
Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.
Kyoto, Japan
Kimono Forest
An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.
Kyoto, Japan
Sagano Bamboo Forest
The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.
Kyoto, Japan
Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.
Kyoto, Japan
Sagano Scenic Railway
A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.
Kyoto, Japan
Tenryu-Ji Shrine's Bamboo Trail
A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.
Kyoto, Japan
Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Kyoto, Japan
Kameya Kiyonaga
This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."
Kyoto, Japan
Ichiriki
More than 300 years old, Kyoto's historic "teahouse" still operates as an invitation-only geisha club.
Kyoto, Japan
Issen Yoshoku
This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.
Kyoto, Japan
Statue of Izumo-no-Okuni
The groundbreaking Japanese shrine maiden who invented the art of kabuki.
Quezon City, Philippines
College of Engineering Sundial
A series of increasingly larger sundials have grown with this school.
