This traditional Japanese-style house doubles as one of James Turrell's colorful works of art.

The small candy-colored ride is the last rooftop Ferris wheel in Tokyo.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.

This town near Nagasaki is flecked with fruit-flavored bus stops.

Each year this Japanese temple overflows with scowling, bearded good luck talismans.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

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

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

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

Japanese island famous for poison gas and fluffy bunnies.

This spa theme park lets its guests take a dip in pools of coffee, wine, or ramen broth.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.