This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

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

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

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

The world’s first hotel to be run by robots.

The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.

A Buddhist temple to honor insects that died for science.

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.

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

A restaurant modeled after feudal Japan, where the waitstaff are trained as ninjas.

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

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

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

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

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

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired Princess Mononoke.

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.