Japan trip

Bioluminescent firefly squid light up this Japanese fishing port.

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

"Singing sands" and the world's largest hourglass reside near Japan's Kotogahama beach.

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

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

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

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

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

A remote and slightly overgrown park filled with replicas of world landmarks.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

Turn around and stick your head between your legs for the best view of this tree-covered sandbar.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

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.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

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

Every autumn, this hillside is ablaze with red summer cypress.

Starship-temple contains 400 tons of drinking water and offers free Japanese lessons.

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life.

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

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.

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

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

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

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

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.

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

These Japanese ruins have been brought back to life with elaborately recreated buildings.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired Princess Mononoke.

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.

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

The cemetery houses the remains of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, one of Japan's most famous novelists.

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