Places zentropy Wants to Go

The tallest city hall in the world offers an excellent bento box.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

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

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.

An unexpected curiosity cabinet hidden within a department store in the Japan Post tower.

Discover the past, present, and future of packaging in this unique Japanese museum.

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.

A museum dedicated to the history of Tokyo's often-overlooked working-class district.

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.

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

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.