The self-mummified monks of Japan.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.

A quaint amusement park now sits, rusting and forgotten among the foliage.

A stretch of the Iwai River that features beautiful rocky cliffs, rapids, and flying dango.

Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.

A derelict New Zealand-themed amusement park in Japan.

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

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.

Abandoned Japanese ghost town gives a glimpse into what our own metropolises may leave behind.

Constructed thousands of years ago, these stone circles offer incredible insight into the lives of the people who built them.

A train station decorated by a giant replica of an ancient Shakōki-dogū figurine.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

This mountain's identity is stuck somewhere between a nightmare and a scenic tourist attraction.

After a short 5 year run, this former major theme park sits in ruin.

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

An isolated "phantom bridge" doomed to crumble into ruin.

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

Japan's largest area of "pink moss" turns the hillside bright pink every spring.

Antarctica's bustling metropolis, originally established by Richard E. Byrd.

A journey to a hand-crafted island involves a trip across this lattice bridge.

This once luxurious Catskills resort is now a haunting ruin.