Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

Go through the looking glass in Tokyo's Wonderland-themed shop.

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

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.