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:

Starry, starry night
Sep 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
May 5, 2024Kerala
Ive got a lot of problems with you penguins!
Nov 5, 2024Ranakpur Jain temple, Ranakpur, Rajasthan
‘Only one Earth’
A splash of colour
Oct 28, 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Dec 31, 2024New Years Eve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Aug 13, 2025Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, United States
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
An island crossroad of culture
A curious little otter pup
Apr 9, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
Nov 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin, USA
Oct 7, 2025Fall colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States
A shiver of sharks on the hunt
Lighting the world
Aug 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Sep 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Sep 24, 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
Where are these prickly pears?
Jewel of the Adriatic
Sport where you least expect it
An iridescent view
Sep 8, 2024International Literacy Day
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Jun 24, 2025Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, United States