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:

Mar 14, 2021Perfect timing
Jan 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Aug 29, 2022Baltic Sea, Estonia
Oct 12, 2022Fossil Day
Mar 19, 2023Barn owl, England
Oct 10, 2019A star blows a bubble
Apr 8, 2020Santorini through the clouds
Feb 18, 2025The Great Blue Hole, Belize
Mar 2, 2018Satellite image of sand and seaweed in the Bahamas
Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Nov 4, 2022A century since Tut s tomb was discovered
Apr 9, 2021A timeless view of the night sky
Apr 19, 2025First day of National Park Week
Mar 3, 2026World Wildlife Day
Mar 16, 2022Panda Day
Jul 27, 2019Longer days mean warmer sand
Mar 16, 2026National Panda Day
Jun 8, 2021A day for our oceans
Apr 11, 2022Fiddlehead fern fronds
Nov 10, 202547 years of Badlands National Park
Jul 9, 2023Moselle River loop near Kröv, Germany
Jul 21, 2023Storseisundet Bridge, Norway
Aug 15, 2018Best. Holiday. Ever.
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Mar 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion
Nov 18, 2024Porthcawl Lighthouse, Wales, UK
Mar 27, 2021Blink and you ll miss it
Oct 4, 2019World Space Week begins
Oct 26, 2024Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Germany