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

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

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

An exact replica of Bill Clinton's childhood home stands within a resort in Japan.

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

Chiseled out of a sandstone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins.

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.

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.

One of the few surviving World War II-era air-raid shelters in Tokyo.

The site of a famous samurai duel.

Nestled amid the trees lies an abandoned funicular railway that dates back to the 1920s.

The largest archaeological site from the Yayoi period.

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

Inaccessible by foot, Japan's most secluded train station sits in the middle of nowhere.

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

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

This frescoed ancient burial mound is a colorful window into China’s influence in early Japan.

This phallic temple was erected in the forest to honor the tragic death of a samurai lord's son.

This massive, beautifully-lit underground quarry leaves visitors in awe.

The only Buddhist temple in Japan dedicated to breasts.

This western-themed amusement park is host to a large number of decaying animatronic cowboys.

Tragic reminders of the 1945 firebombing campaign over Tokyo still haunt this bridge.

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."