The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

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

Birthplace of the Tendai sect and home to the marathon monks.

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

A failed Russian themed village and amusement park in Niigata prefecture.

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

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.

One of the bloodiest and most important battles in Japanese history is recreated with kitschy concrete statues.

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

"Bug Bug" Land, a natural park for beetle watching, still hasn't fully recovered from Fukushima's nuclear disaster.

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

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.

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

Enormous underground chamber built to detect 'ghost particles' of the universe.

An anthropological theme park that depicts the cultures of around 20 different countries.

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

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