Irohazaka Road, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan Nov 15, 2025

Irohazaka Road, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan

If you think the alphabet is straightforward, Japan"s Irohazaka Road in Nikko will twist that belief right out of you. Named after the old Japanese syllabary "Iroha", this mountain pass once had 48 hairpin bends—each curve matched to a character of the alphabet. Today, it"s a pair of separate one-way roads—one goes up, the other comes down and both make drivers feel as if they"re spelling out a story with every turn.

© oneinchpunch/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Nov 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Nov 15, 2024Chiang Mai, Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Oct 11, 2024Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada
Mar 8, 2025Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, Germany
Mar 29, 2024South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
Feb 14, 2024Red-crowned crane
Oct 17, 2023Torra di a Parata, Corsica, France
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish, Guerrero, Mexico
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Jun 1, 2025Barrier reef off Grande Terre, New Caledonia, France
May 21, 2024Poço Encantado cave, Brazil
Jun 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eaters
Apr 4, 2025National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC, United States
Jun 9, 2025Old City of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia, Croatia
Apr 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Jan 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Nov 18, 2023Polar bear mother and cubs
Jul 11, 2024Gangi, Sicily, Italy
Sep 12, 2025Spinner dolphin pod
Dec 8, 2024Moorea, French Polynesia
Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Sep 17, 2023Cuban tody, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Cuba
Jun 19, 2025Beach in Santa Catarina, Brazil
Jan 28, 2025Short-eared owl
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Jun 20, 2025Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland