Places Whit Wants to Go

A small shrine dedicated to a god of lightning and electronics.

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.

More than 300 years old, Kyoto's historic "teahouse" still operates as an invitation-only geisha club.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

A horde of stray cats rule in this secluded Parisian cemetery under a bridge.

Paris' linguistic guide to the international language of, yes, love.

Notorious artist squat renovated into legal studios.

A surrealist timepiece by the artist of melting clocks.

This modest marker near Notre Dame identifies the very center of Paris.

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

Walk upon the mementos of the dead in this Parisian courtyard paved with medieval tombstones.

This former “ante-chamber to the guillotine” has been refurbished to illustrate the brutal history of French justice.

A simple plaque on the facade is the only reminder that the treaty ending the American Revolution was signed inside.

Cabaret where the show girls are all androids, and the patrons couldn't be more pleased.

Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

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.

This is no ordinary coffee chain outlet—it's an architectural masterpiece.

A gorgeous, nostalgic café housed in a lofty old warehouse, lit only by petroleum lamps.

A commemoration of the first Dutchman to reach Japan, whose name still echoes in the heart of Tokyo.

The largest seated Buddha statue in Japan is the centerpiece of an abandoned complex in a quiet, seaside town.