◇ Curious Japan · 19 places to explore
A highway runs through an office building. An hourglass takes a year to empty. And a post office holds letters with nowhere to go. Find out how these places came to be, then choose a region below and follow the guide to plan a visit.
Osaka, Shiga, Wakayama & Mie
Shinsaibashi, Osaka
A historic temple hall continues its daily life beneath a modern hotel. The surprising architecture makes room for a place of worship that is still in use.
Temple visit
You can visit the temple without staying at the hotel. The guide explains the morning service, eshakyo and photography rules.
Fukushima, Osaka
An exit ramp passes through the building, with offices above and below. The road and the building are separate structures sharing a remarkably small piece of the city.
Exterior stop
Plan an exterior stop from the public pavement. The road itself is not a pedestrian viewpoint.
Takashima, Shiga
Harie’s kabata connect spring water, household basins and village streams. Carp eat scraps in a lower pool: an unexpected detail in a working water system.
Guided visit · book ahead
Book a local resident guide. Kabata are part of private homes, and access depends on the residents’ permission.
Kinokawa, Wakayama
Tama became the face of a local railway people had worked to keep. Her successors have working hours and days off, in a station with a cat-face design.
Railway visit · check the cat roster
Take the Kishigawa Line, check the current cat roster and return train, and photograph quietly without flash. The guide compares ordinary fares with the one-day pass.
Otsu, Shiga
Emperor Tenji’s timekeeping records connect a modern shrine with a water-clock replica. Its clock museum brings together many other ways to measure a day.
Shrine and museum · check museum hours
Check the museum’s separate opening hours and last admission, then ask before photographing exhibits. The guide explains the two station walks and ordinary admission fees.
Ise, Mie
Ise’s twenty-year renewal passes architectural forms and craft techniques between generations. The adjoining site is part of a living building tradition.
Shrine and museum · check access limits
Follow the public worship routes; Sengukan’s full-scale partial reconstruction offers a closer look at the architecture. Check the separate hours and photography rules.
Tokyo, Saitama, Yokohama & Utsunomiya
Kasukabe, Saitama
Enormous concrete pillars give G-Cans its temple-like appearance. The chamber’s purpose is practical: slowing floodwater before pumps move it into the Edo River.
Guided visit · book ahead
Book ahead. If you do not understand Japanese, arrange a companion who can understand the guide. Check the stair and participation requirements before booking.
Minatomirai, Yokohama
Momofuku Ando solved a filling problem by putting the cup over the noodles. Discover the design behind an everyday meal, then assemble a custom cup of your own.
Museum visit · workshop tickets
Choose between decorating a custom cup and making noodles from flour. The guide compares fees, advance tickets and the separate workshop participation rules.
Meguro, Tokyo
An 8.8-metre tapeworm is the memorable detail. Behind it is a research collection that preserves specimens and helps explain the diversity of parasites.
Museum visit · check closure days
Admission is free. Check the closure calendar, plan the walk from Meguro Station, and read the photography rules before publishing images.
Yotsuya, Tokyo
Hooks and rooftop skills had a practical purpose in a city of wooden buildings. The Fire Museum follows that history through Edo firefighting tools, historic engines and helicopter exhibits.
Free museum · check maintenance closures
Admission is free. Check maintenance closures before travelling; the guide explains the direct subway connection, helicopter access and visitor rules.
Chichibu, Saitama
Chinsekikan’s human-faced stones invite you to notice how marks become expressions. A family collection and the science of face perception offer two ways to read them.
Private museum · confirm your visit
Check the operator’s updates and contact the museum before travelling. The guide separates posted admission and hours from unconfirmed appointment, photography and access arrangements.
Oya, Utsunomiya
Building blocks were cut out; columns stayed behind. Oya’s vast underground room preserves the marks of mining and the work of moving stone into the city.
Underground museum · stairs and cold air
Bring a layer, cash and shoes for stairs. The guide explains the Utsunomiya bus journey, winter closures, access limits and photography rules.
Machida, Tokyo
Six manhole covers bring familiar characters to a park in the city where Pokémon’s creator spent his childhood. A small detail underfoot becomes a way to explore Machida.
Park walk · check area restrictions
Use the official park map, check current area closures and cleaning notices, and keep paths clear. Access to all six covers can vary.
Nagano & Gifu
Jigokudani, Nagano
Japanese macaques learned to bathe in a hot spring, and the habit passed between generations. Cold weather makes the pool appealing; the animals still choose whether to visit or soak.
Wildlife observation · check daily conditions
Plan the forest walk, check current monkey sightings and use the seasonal bus route. The guide explains online tickets and the December 2026 fee change.
Yoro, Gifu
Arakawa and Madeline Gins made a landscape of uneven ground and unexpected spaces. Walking becomes a way to question how your body understands its surroundings.
Art park visit · uneven terrain
Wear suitable shoes and check the terrain, accessibility limits and photography rules. The guide explains admission and the journey from Yoro Station.
Shimane
Nima, Shimane
Nima’s giant hourglass connects the passing year to the protection of nearby Kotogahama’s singing sand. A group of people turns it over at New Year.
Museum visit · beach conditions vary
Check the museum’s hours and closure calendar. The museum and beach use different stations, and the New Year ceremony is for selected participants.
Awashima, Kagawa & Iya Valley, Tokushima
Awashima, Kagawa
Artist Saya Kubota’s island project holds letters to people, things and moments ordinary post cannot reach. A former post office becomes a place for words left unsaid.
Island visit · check opening days
Check opening dates and both ferry journeys before planning your island visit. The guide also explains the terms for contributing a letter.
Nagoro, Tokushima
Nagoro’s scarecrows began with a figure modelled on the maker’s father. Their clothes, gestures and village register turn everyday scenes into a craft project.
Village visit · check transport and indoor access
Plan the mountain bus connections, check indoor access and keep out of the fields while looking at the figures.
Between Honshu & Kyushu
Shimonoseki & Kitakyushu
A prefectural border is painted on the tunnel floor beneath the Kanmon Strait. Cross it on foot, with the sea overhead and a different island at the other end.
Independent walk
Use the dedicated pedestrian entrances and check the current opening hours. A ferry return uses different terminals, so allow for the waterfront journey.