Places Wishmeril Wants to Go

This quirky little private museum is home to more than a thousand stones, carved by nature, that resemble human faces.

Near the mouth of the Yodo River, this museum offers visitors six floors of hands-on learning about Osaka's raw sewage.

A monk-run winery inside a Buddhist temple celebrates Japan's crown grape varietal.

This incredible mountainside temple is home to intriguing statues of demon-like creatures.

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.

This seven story Japanese love hotel now stands in ruins.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

A small island with no monkeys but plenty of military ruins.

"Bug Bug" Land, a natural park for beetle watching, still hasn't fully recovered from Fukushima's nuclear disaster.

Roots and stumps that lay inundated for two millennia are on display in Japan's city of three mysteries.

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare enter it.

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

This traditional Japanese-style house doubles as one of James Turrell's colorful works of art.

The largest collection of model trains in the world is actually run using full-size locomotive technology.

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

An abandoned Art Deco hotel nestled on the side of a wooded mountain.

A sculpture that resurrected the only tree standing following the devastating 2011 tsunami.

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

A semi-abandoned replica of Prince Edward Island's Avonlea—in Japan.

A small Japanese village claims to be the final resting place of the son of God (and God's other son's ear).

You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

This mountain's identity is stuck somewhere between a nightmare and a scenic tourist attraction.

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.