Places userbrent Wants to Go

This giant two-tier celebration cake serves as a befitting advert for the confectionery college it sits on top of.

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

Tatar Russian in origin, the largest mosque in Japan is now an Ottoman-style Turkish culture center.

This “peasant café” in the middle of Tokyo re-creates the atmosphere of the Japanese countryside.

A bizarre philosophy-themed park founded by an occult expert.

A bronze ship jutting out of a bridge, a commemoration of Osamu Dazai, a sculpture created by 30 manga legends, and more.

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

At this shrine, a sacred stone is said to keep a sea monster at bay.

The first home of the doomed aviator Amelia Earhart.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

The world's largest permanent architectural projection display entertains audiences nightly with 28-story light shows.

A rare public effigy of “the Embracing Kangiten,” the erotic Japanese equivalent of Hindu god Ganesha.

This house was once the residence of Aisin-Gioro Pujie, the younger brother of China’s last emperor.

This prehistoric site is home to the largest shell midden cluster in Japan.

The strange “kaiju” of Lake Imba that allegedly killed over a dozen men with a single strike of lightning.

This park was once home to now-extinct Naumann's elephants, and what might have been a real Banksy.

A small park inhabited by handmade water goblins.

A small laundromat covered wall-to-ceiling with portrait drawings.

This century-old electronics store-turned-cafe serves comforting, retro fare.

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

This public bathroom takes the form of a 19th-century lighthouse that once stood on the spot.

A hidden gallery exhibits intricate, decades-old Buddhist reliefs.

The 650 red and white Japanese plum trees of this Tokyo neighborhood blossom each spring.

Home to a collection of drums from around the world that allow visitors to play a tune.