Composed of scrap metal, a pair of platform-length murals chronicle Japan’s history, from the Big Bang to the development of modern Tokyo.

Exploring crime and punishment in feudal and pre-modern Japan.

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

A sad reminder of the World War II bombing stands largely unnoticed on a street corner.

A culturally significant rural temple in the beautiful mountains of Itoshima.

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.

A collection of the specialized tools used to construct Japan’s beautiful architecture.

The first location of the eventual video game giant.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

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

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

A statue of a mischievous raccoon towers over this city park.

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.

Though technically an illegal structure, this eclectic DIY apartment complex is beloved by its residents.

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

Approximately 300 million years ago, a massive coral reef existed in what is now the largest limestone cave in Japan.

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.

Roots and stumps that lay inundated for two millennia are on display in Japan's city of three mysteries.

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

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

The largest collection of model trains in the world is actually run using full-size locomotive technology.

An abandoned Art Deco hotel nestled on the side of a wooded mountain.

A small Japanese village claims to be the final resting place of the son of God (and God's other son's ear).

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.