The birthplace of the Japanese idiom "wet clothes" meaning “false accusation."

A long-worshipped mountain, considered a "power spot" and suspected to be an ancient pyramid by some.

A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

Legend has it that centuries ago, a ghost once frequented this candy shop to feed her still-living baby.

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

Japan's longest-running music festival takes place on an isolated butterfly-shaped island.

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

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

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

It's bad manners to eat and drink on the subways of Tokyo, unless the train is this bar. 

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

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

An unexpected curiosity cabinet hidden within a department store in the Japan Post tower.

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

Go through the looking glass in Tokyo's Wonderland-themed shop.

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

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