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Does Japanese have any metaphorical equivalent to Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia
(or, in the case of Australia, perhaps Woop Woop), meaning a remote or
inaccessible place?

Wiktionary [recognises](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Timbuktu) the
metaphorical meaning of Timbuktu, but doesn't have a translation for that into
Japanese.
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translation metaphor
Metaphorical equivalent of Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia
A couple I can think of:

> 最果ての地
>
> 秘境 ( or 秘境中の秘境)
>
> ど田舎
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Can I believe this example usage [found on Urban
Dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Timbuktu&defid=891528)?

> We used to have each other over for dinner on a regular basis, but then she
> moved out to Timbuktu, and we haven't done it since.

Then perhaps there is no place name that can be used like this in Japanese. I
can think of some typical and historical names for "extremely
distant/inaccessible places" (such as [蝦夷地](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezo)
and [天竺](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianzhu_\(India\))), but none of them
can be used as metaphorically as this.

FWIW, in the last 10 years or so, 群馬県 (Gunma Prefecture) has often been
treated like a land of mystery. See [this
link](http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2133925662861896901) and [this **U**
ncyclopedia article about
群馬](http://ja.uncyclopedia.info/wiki/%E7%BE%A4%E9%A6%AC%E7%9C%8C). This is a
mere Internet meme, but I still sometimes see jokes about Gunma.
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I can't think of anything, because...

Japanese indeed has a certain repertoire of metonymy that makes real names
represent their prominent quality, such as:

> 今【いま】孔明【こうめい】 ([孔明](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuge_Liang) is a most
> tactful strategist)  
>  祇園【ぎおん】小町【こまち】 ([小町](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_no_Komachi) is a
> greatest beauty)  
>  台風【たいふう】銀座【ぎんざ】 ([銀座](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginza) is a busiest
> downtown district)  
>  東洋【とうよう】のパリ (パリ is...... you know?)

Those, however, only work in "as ... as X" method, and need a qualifier so
that make it clear the mentioned one is not real X. You can much less let a
proper name metaphorize an absolute notion; unlike in English, Timbuktu isn't
a totally inaccessible town, Greek isn't an incomprehensible language, Xanadu
isn't a utopia... In this sense, no proper name could be a real "synonym" of
an idea in Japanese.

* * *

In a comment above, @Ciaran cited an interesting word 唐天竺の果て. Obviously, it's
a word from an age when China and India was _literally_ the end of the world
they recognized. You can't seriously say it at the present time, as it doesn't
even go beyond [this small circle](http://io9.gizmodo.com/more-than-half-of-
the-worlds-population-lives-inside-t-493103044).
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Proverbial [Mecca] is the most happening place

> サーフィンのメッカといえばどこですか？ ------> ハワイのノースショアがメッカ中のメッカだと思います。 . . . . . . .
> 日本はある意味たくさんありますが、毎日波が立ってるわけではありません その中で言うと千葉北の志田と千葉南の鴨川ですかね・・

Proverbial [Tibet] is the least happening place -- remote & cold, unsuitable
for agriculture, industry, or any development. Nobody wants to live or visit
there. ( 辺境の代名詞 )

> 岩手県は日本のチベットと言われていますが . . . . . . . .
> 戦後、1950～1960年代には、山あいで交通の便が悪いことや、主な産業が新日本製鉄の釜石製鉄所位しかなく、所得水準が全国でも低いことから、「日本のチベット」と呼ばれてもいました。
> 日本では、交通の便の悪い山間地 ...

> 日本のチベット」と言われる岩手県の中でも寒い所、 それで藪川を「日本のシベリア」と言う人もあるくらいである。

> そういえば、 . . . . . 区は「名古屋のチベット」と言われることが以前からよくありました。

> こんな勝浦のチベットと言われるほど山奥に どうしてケーキ屋さんがあるの？？？ でも、これが美味しいんです！！！
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