Haunting
Okunoshima: The Island of Rabbits Who Sniffed Gas
Hop aboard the ferry to Okunoshima, a small island in the Inland Sea that blends urban exploration tourism, a pack of cute rabbits, and a dark historical past!
Easy walk
Mizuki Shigeru Road: Meeting the Yokai
An 800-meter promenade in Sakaiminato lined with bronze statues of yokai characters honors manga artist Shigeru Mizuki and his world of GeGeGe no Kitaro.
Serene
Kongorin-ji and its Army of Jizo
Perched on the hills of Shiga, Kongorin-ji is a quiet temple known for its architectural treasures, landscaped gardens, and dazzling maples, with an army of Jizo statues standing guard.
Easy walk
Naoshima on Acid
Naoshima, the Japanese island where art, cats, and the sea meet in a unique, enchanting atmosphere. Sculptures sprout like mushrooms, cats pose for visitors, and art emerges in the most unexpected places.
Some hiking
Taikodani Inari Shrine: Vermilion Night Dive
263 steps, nearly 1000 torii, and a red that stays in your eyes. Taikodani Inari Shrine leaves an imprint; its vermilion arches align as a visual protective charm.
Off the map
The Stuck Toyota Land Cruiser
Along an abandoned road in the Boso Peninsula mountains, a rare Toyota Land Cruiser Cygnus rests in silence, a true haikyo-car slowly reclaimed by the forest.
Vibrant
Shōrinzan Daruma: The Market and the Flames
Every 6–7 January, Shōrinzan Daruma-ji in Takasaki holds its great daruma market, before returning the past year's wishes to the flames in the otakiage fire.
Some hiking
Ukiha Inari Shrine
Discover Ukiha Inari Shrine in Fukuoka, an enchanting place known for its vermilion torii, its quiet calm, and its panoramic views.
Off the map
Ishizuka, the Forgotten Village of Yakushima
Ishizuka, a former logging village in the heart of Yakushima, swallowed by moss and a moving witness to the age of the yakusugi cedars.
Hidden
The Mysterious Game Boy Mailbox
Somewhere in the Japanese hills, a giant grey Game Boy sits by a country road, wedged between bamboo and moss. Press Start, and nothing happens.
Cinematic
Akiyoshidai: Lunar Landscape of Jagged Rocks
Perched at 300 meters in the mountains of Yamaguchi, the Akiyoshidai plateau presents a breathtaking karst landscape of towering limestone formations, majestic cliffs and expansive grassy plains.
Some hiking
Jinjo-ji: Ancient Shrine Lost in the Mountains
Deep in the Japanese countryside, you sometimes stumble on places that seem frozen in time. Jinjo-ji temple, in Shimonoseki, is clearly one of them.
Photogenic
Roller Coaster Road: Diving into the Heart of Lavender Fields
Located on the island of Hokkaido between Biei and Furano, the "roller‑coaster road" stretches for 4.5 km.
Off the map
The Enigma of the Black House
Back after thrilling adventures, I stand before this house that seems straight out of a feverish dream. Its walls, blackened like the ashes of a fire, are covered with enigmatic messages traced in white or yellow. I waited, observed... then finally dared to enter.
Easy walk
The Arimaston Building: A Handcrafted Corps Buzié
The Arimaston Building, a unique architectural masterpiece in Tokyo, erected by Keisuke Oka with patience and passion over nearly 20 years.
Luminous
The Sakura of Komatsunagi: Petals and Legends
At the edge of a rice paddy in Achi village, Nagano, an old cherry tree mirrors itself in the water and glows under the stars at night. Legend says Yoshitsune tied his horse here.
