Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

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

Steampunk, humanoid sculptures crawl on all fours in a Tokyo plaza.

The decommissioned steam engine’s whistle can still be heard three times a day at one of Japan’s oldest train stations.

A Buddhist temple on an artificial island that houses a monument to the fugu fish.

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.

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

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.”

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

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

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

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

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

This enormous "shamoji" means more to the people of Miyajima than just a way getting rice onto a plate.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

A museum dedicated to the history and exploration of both popular music and science fiction.

Though strikingly beautiful, Seattle's other railway station is now largely forgotten.

A wall of chewing gum moonlights as collective art.

In a pedestrian tunnel on North Carolina State’s campus resides an expressive and artistic free-for-all.

This too-low North Carolina railroad trestle is still a notorious big rig executioner.

This research center for rare prosimians is studying how they sleep to help prolong human life.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.