In the shadowy early hours of the morning, while most of the world is still wrapped in dreams, there exists a place in East Java where fire glows an electric blue, sulfur dances in the air, and the earth itself seems to breathe. Welcome to Kawah Ijen, one of the few places on this planet where you can literally chase fire in the dark—and not get burned.

Imagine a place where the Earth hisses, belches sulfur, and constantly exhales white plumes of steam into the sky. A place where black eggs are boiled in volcanic springs and eaten to gain extra years of life. Welcome to Owakudani—one of Japan’s most unusual and naturally hostile locations, and one that feels like it sits right at the edge of the spirit world.