Places Zesra Wants to Go

A strip of traditional hand towel serves as an admission ticket at this modern tenugui museum.

Legend has it that centuries ago, a ghost once frequented this candy shop to feed her still-living baby.

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

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.

Visitors to this museum will discover that kaleidoscopes are much more than toys.

When this massive wooden temple ran out of rope, they made one out of devotees' hair.

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."

Japan's largest and oldest annual procession of floats, begun in 869.

Shrine dedicated to boars that is believed to cure foot and leg injuries.

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

If you forgot something to read during your trip to Tokyo, this hostel has you covered.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

A mysterious set of tunnels carved in the hills of rural northern Kyushu.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

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

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.

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

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.

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