Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.

Children's literature inside, forest all around.

Giant sand sculptures of famous people and places are on display near the Tottori sand dunes.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.

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

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

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

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

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

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

A Catholicism-themed restaurant where sacrilege is on the menu.

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.

Abandoned Japanese ghost town gives a glimpse into what our own metropolises may leave behind.

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

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

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

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

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

Japanese island famous for poison gas and fluffy bunnies.

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