Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

A gorgeous, nostalgic café housed in a lofty old warehouse, lit only by petroleum lamps.

Over 40 species of fern cover the canyon walls of this lush green bowl, cut off from the bustle of the world by a cave entrance.

There's light and a dreamlike panorama at the end of this tunnel.

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

The world's largest drain sits below the city of Kasukabe, Japan.

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare to enter.

This exacting restaurant will charge a fine for every grain of rice you've left behind.

Located in a remote mountain valley in Yamagata Prefecture, these hot springs have attracted bathers for over 450 years.

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

Every autumn, this hillside is ablaze with red summer cypress.

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.