Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

Fans line up at the crack of dawn for a slurpy bowl of deliciousness at this noodle counter inside a factory.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

This little town supplies Japan with most of its calligraphy brushes, still made by hand from animal fur.

A whimsical museum dedicated to the mischievous kappa, a mythical cucumber-loving water sprite.

Japan's hottest hot spring has a memorable name.

A statue of a mischievous raccoon towers over this city park.

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

A charming, homemade vending machine dispenses burgers and sandwiches at this hole-in-the-wall bakery.

This incredible mountainside temple is home to intriguing statues of demon-like creatures.

A monk-run winery inside a Buddhist temple celebrates Japan's crown grape varietal.

Approximately 300 million years ago, a massive coral reef existed in what is now the largest limestone cave in Japan.

Sidle into a side alley for a taste of sumo wrestlers' traditional hot-pot soup, in a tiny restaurant founded by a former competitor.

This temple is steeped in local folklore involving a teakettle and a raccoon dog.

Existing for more than four centuries, the last of Hakone’s historic teahouses serves a sweet, mold-based rice drink.

The world's longest tunnel with an undersea section.

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.

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

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

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

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

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.

A mysterious set of tunnels carved in the hills of rural northern Kyushu.

This “peasant café” in the middle of Tokyo re-creates the atmosphere of the Japanese countryside.