This giant fashion model is one of the most beloved symbols of Nagoya.

This hidden oasis features a stunning view of the Hudson River and the Palisades from a castle-like museum.

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

Colorado Boulevard’s historic bookstore, operating since the bustling city of Pasadena was merely some orange groves and a few ostrich farms.

A British pub embodies the spirit of a California legend.

Contemporary art inspired by natural history and science drawing on ancient techniques in a modern world.

A bigger-than-life pun that has become a beacon of altruism.

A fashion designer's dazzling world of Japanese collectibles is hidden in a warehouse downtown.

Historic marionette theater features thousands of handmade puppets and free cups of ice cream.

This hands-on math museum believes in turning concepts into constructs.

Perched high atop telephone poles is an uncanny outdoor art gallery that greets passersby on their commute.

Pizza joint known for labor-inducing salad dressing.

Common all over Japan, kōbans are small community police boxes, and now one is guarding one of L.A.’s megamalls.

Large but largely ignored, these 42 life-size Liberty Bell replicas were a peculiar, unexplained feature on the facade of a Macy's department store.

Pay your respects to departed pets, both celebrity and otherwise.

This collector's home is a constant work in progress.

A Bicycle Path in the Sky.

Friendships have been forged over ham and eggs every Wednesday morning for nearly a century.

Dozens of feral felines rule a segment of Hollywood's only graveyard.

There are lots of hands and feet stamped in the cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but Mel left behind something extra.

The private clubhouse for the members of the Academy of Magical Arts.

Historic funicular railway, believed to be the shortest railroad in the world.

A ghost town at the airport is now a refuge for blue butterflies.

A faux European lane smack dab in downtown L.A.