The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.

A statue erected on an infamous cliff where young boys would hold dangerous "pee offs" to prove their mettle.

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

A sculpture that resurrected the only tree standing following the devastating 2011 tsunami.

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

Make your own fake treats at this factory and workshop in the epicenter of Japan's food replica industry.

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.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

For hundreds of years, participants in this Japanese festival have been making babies cry to ward off demons.

The ruin of a Japanese love hotel almost completely overgrown with brambles.

An infamous house made famous by director Takashi Shimizu.

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

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

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

This ruined Japanese stripclub sits half burnt to the ground.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

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

Oddly touching memorial to a little-remembered nuclear tragedy.

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.

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