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

Irohazaka Road in autumn, 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

All going swimmingly
15 Nov 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
15 Nov 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Widespread and long-eared
14 Feb 2025Happy Valentines Day!
Behold the architectural marvel
11 Oct 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
15 Feb 2026World Whale Day
3 Aug 2026Colourful boats in Marsaxlokk Harbour, Malta
Winter wonderland
Turquoise delight
A gorge-ous place to drop in
23 Jun 2025Elbe river in Dresden, Saxony, Germany
3 Nov 2023World Jellyfish Day
28 Sep 2025Town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
A butterflys best friend
11 Nov 2023Val di Funes, Italy
Where did you drop the fish, son?
Santa slalom
Call of the wilderness
12 Dec 2023Reed bunting
Staying in the loop
14 Oct 2024Coco Beach, Goa, India
So nice, they made it twice
29 Dec 2023Happy Hogmanay!
27 Nov 2024Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
Shark Awareness Day
21 Jan 2025Squirrel Appreciation Day
A postcard-perfect landscape
Its puffling season!
28 Dec 2024Green sea turtle
13 Aug 2026Perseid meteor shower over Tenerife, Spain
Check out The Magic City of Miami