People come from across the globe to swim in this lake believed to have healing properties.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

A Buddhist temple on an artificial island that houses a monument to the fugu fish.

The enigmatic symbol on this incineration plant's smokestack is, in fact, a one-of-a-kind clock.

A 20-meter (65-foot) robot towers over Tokyo Bay.

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

A public fountain that spouts "health water" from a nearby spring.

This natural marble cave is one of only five national monuments in Oregon.

Portlandia is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the United States.

A sculpture of a salmon swimming through a brick building.

A Roman-style column in Oregon hides a spiral staircase inside.

100-year-old shipwreck you can walk up to at low tide.

No one knows how this Pacific Northwest spruce tree came to have so many trunks.

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.

The eerie remnants of an ancient forest were hidden under the sand for centuries.

The first North American landing spot for James Cook on his third voyage of discovery in the Pacific.

Only known mainland rookery of the threatened Stellar sea lion.