Imagine walking through an ancient forest so untouched by time that even the soil seems to rise and fall beneath your feet—as if the Earth itself were breathing. Welcome to Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Japan, home to one of the last remaining virgin beech forests in East Asia... and possibly the most subtly mystical landscape in the entire country.

If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming with jellyfish without turning into a human pincushion, your fantasy is not only possible—it’s floating in the heart of Indonesia.