An eerie maze of industrial factories looks like something out of a dystopian sci-fi.

A mysterious set of tunnels carved in the hills of rural northern Kyushu.

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

White beach sands made of the remains of tiny, star shaped creatures.

The largest volcanic caldera in Japan holds an entire city in its maw.

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.

This active volcano's siren song to suicide jumpers forced authorities to build a fence.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

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.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

Japan's largest area of "pink moss" turns the hillside bright pink every spring.

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

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

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

Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.