The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.

According to one legend, this bridge was crafted after monkeys formed a body-bridge across the gorge.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?

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

A wooden prison doesn't sound like a good idea, yet this abandoned 1950s detention center still stands today.

This massive, Edo Period, coin-shaped sand painting is believed to be a source of great luck.

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

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

Once the main gateway to Tokyo, sneaking through this checkpoint was a capital offense in feudal times.

For centuries, this gold mine was the powerhouse behind the Tokugawa Shogunate.

This gnome sculpture and his wonderous hat forces train passengers to do a double-take.

A shrine dedicated to a 10th-century samurai emperor, whose head is not buried on site (contrary to popular belief).

This strange mural located in the Ueno station is filled with traditional Japanese symbolism.

The former home of queer novelist Yoshiya Nobuko memorializes her contributions to modern-day manga.

Next door to Tokyo DisneySea is a giant sculpture created by Taro Okamoto symbolizing the dynamism of life.

It is said that coins washed in the waters here will miraculously multiply.

This volcanic island in the Pacific just keeps growing and growing.

Designed by a computer, this intricate network of fluorescent green pipes has taken over a subway station.

A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

A museum in Hokkaido is housed in a former high school. On its grounds a marker shares the awakening of a man who longs to be reunited with his soulmate in the fictional world of Kcymaerxthaere.

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.

Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.

Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.