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

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:

May 26, 2025Hozugawa River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Aug 2, 2025Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
Dec 21, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 1, 2023Jasper National Park, Canada
Nov 13, 2023Serra de Tramuntana, Balearic Islands, Majorca, Spain
Mar 25, 2025European goldfinches
Jun 29, 2024Beech forest in Nienhagen, Germany
Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Nov 13, 2025Quiver trees, Namibia
Mar 16, 2025A kingfisher perched on a branch
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
May 21, 2025Tea garden at Yangjiatang Village, Songyang County, China
Jan 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Mar 10, 2025Lion, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
May 22, 2025Baobab trees at sunset, Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Oct 30, 2024Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy
Jun 22, 2024Amazon rainforest, Brazil
Jan 8, 2025Great Wall of China
Aug 13, 2025Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, United States
May 7, 2024Duckling in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Feb 1, 2025Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
Apr 26, 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Mar 7, 2024Roques de Benet, Catalonia, Spain
Sep 17, 2024Kerala, India
Feb 3, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA