The groundbreaking Japanese shrine maiden who invented the art of kabuki.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

Every spring, this walkway outside the Japan Mint turns into a cherry blossom tunnel.

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.

Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.

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

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

Visitors to this museum will discover that kaleidoscopes are much more than toys.

Have a soak at this retro bathhouse, where you will find Japan's first electric bath, tiling from Spain, and wood carvings representing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."

The first location of the eventual video game giant.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.