A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

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

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

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

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

The divine septet of Japanese fortune gods are rendered in 1,000 year old wood at this peaceful site.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

A cool dive bar, off the beaten track.

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

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

This sawtooth mountain range still bears the strangely lovely marks of its history as a medieval quarry.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.

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

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

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

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.