Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.

These sculptures were created by a 17th-century artist who had never seen an elephant.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

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

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

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

This enormous "shamoji" means more to the people of Miyajima than just a way getting rice onto a plate.

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.

Japan's largest and oldest annual procession of floats, begun in 869.

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

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

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

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

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

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

A 59-ft. robot statue looks over the citizens of earthquake-ravaged Kobe.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

A sobering scientific reminder of the human damage caused by the advent of the nuclear age.

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

The divine septet of Japanese fortune gods are rendered in 1,000 year old wood at this peaceful site.

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.