Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

The notorious "Hanoi Hilton" where Vietnamese colonial subjects and later American POWs, including John McCain, were imprisoned.

Monument to a brutal, ineffectual US bombing campaign and a sobering reminder of the human cost of the Vietnam War.

Don’t miss the local staple of rice vermicelli with charcoal-grilled pork patties and pork belly.

Life-sized painted illusions let pedestrians blend in with the street art.

Ho Chi Minh's perfectly preserved body has been on display here since 1975.

A gift from the Soviet Union in the 1980s, this is the only statue of the Soviet dictator in Southeast Asia.

Under Hanoi’s medieval citadel sits a secret military headquarters from the final years of the Vietnam War.

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

Once the most densely populated place in the world, this island is now a ghost town.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

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

Take a few seconds to look at this abandoned, art-filled station as you pass by on the subway to Ueno.

This lesser-visited gallery in a corner of the Tokyo National Museum complex is an architectural beauty dedicated to the ancient treasures of Hōryū-ji.

This site commemorates the life of a Japanese scientist who dedicated his life to the discovery of diseases.

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

Unbeknownst to many, an ancient burial mound hides in plain sight in Ueno Park.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

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

Meet the world's longest tapeworm in a collection that really gets under your skin.

A giant robo-cockroach building devours Tokyo.

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

A herd of colorfully painted bovine statues can be found in the middle of "cowtown."