Irohazaka Road in autumn, 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

You otter check this out
Nov. 15, 2023Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Nov. 15, 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

King of the ocean
An oasis in the desert
May 7, 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Aug. 25, 2025Colony of northern gannets in Quebec
The ‘potato chip bird’
Jan. 12, 2026Eurasian otter and pup, Estonia
Dec. 28, 2024Green sea turtle
Dec. 1, 2024Antarctica Day
Aug. 11, 2024Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island
Nov. 3, 2024International Day for Biosphere Reserves
Jun. 29, 2025International Day of the Tropics
Sep. 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
Sep. 12, 2024World Dolphin Day
Sep. 10, 2024Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal
Oct. 16, 2025Eurasian lynx
Oct. 12, 2024World Migratory Bird Day
Jul. 28, 2024Colourful bathing huts on the beach in Skåne County, Sweden
Jan. 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Launching hopes and prayers
Sep. 19, 2024International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Dec. 17, 2025Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
Apr. 11, 2025Tulips, Netherlands
Feb. 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Nov. 6, 2025Celebrating Yi Peng
Secluded sands in Mexico
Dec. 8, 2025Christmas lights on buildings of Domaso, Lake Como, Italy
May 29, 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
Kickoff in Qatar
A peck between penguins
Oct. 27, 2024Polar Bear Week