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.
Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
-
Trooping the Colour
-
An island crossroad of culture
-
Hangin around
-
The Town of Books
-
Happy International Astronomy Day!
-
Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
-
Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri, United States
-
Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
-
Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
-
Christmas flowers
-
Brown-throated three-toed sloth
-
Tower Bridge, London
-
We can all just get along
-
Incan ingenuity
-
Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
-
Grey seal pup
-
Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
-
A glowing square of squares
-
Pancake Day
-
Almond trees in full bloom, California, USA
-
Big Bends birthday bash
-
Tree frog
-
Piecing together a better tomorrow
-
Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
-
Museum Night in Berlin
-
Porto, Portugal
-
A day for giving
-
National Hiking Day
-
Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

