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

Irohazaka Road in fall, 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, 2018‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’
Nov 15, 2019Mesmerizing murmuration
Nov 15, 2020What’s blooming in New Zealand?
Nov 15, 2021Manatee Awareness Month
Nov 15, 2022River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
Nov 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Nov 15, 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 24, 2018Art over Amalfi
Mar 20, 2023Spring equinox
Feb 15, 2023Hippo family in Chobe National Park, Botswana
Jul 11, 2022World Population Day
May 2, 2021Happy World Laughter Day
May 12, 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
Jan 31, 2024International Zebra Day
Nov 3, 2020Vote!
Dec 22, 2024Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California
Jul 12, 2020A day to take a moment
Dec 22, 2018Night of the ‘Cold Moon’
Mar 4, 2025Happy Fat Tuesday!
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Feb 4, 2020Rock of ages
Nov 11, 2021Veterans Day
Aug 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day
Jun 7, 2018Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage
Sep 10, 2021Celebrating all things Austen
Dec 2, 2023Angkor, Cambodia
Apr 20, 2025Happy Easter!
Mar 24, 2022Red squirrel
Mar 26, 2024Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam
May 4, 2020It s Star Wars Day
Dec 7, 2020In memory of those lost
Jan 1, 2019New Year’s Day in the land of the rising sun
Nov 27, 2025Happy Thanksgiving!
May 5, 2024Happy Cinco de Mayo!
May 19, 2021A path lain with petals
Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China