This airy five-floor library and museum houses thousands of books and rotating exhibits on Japanese monsters and anime.

Hundreds of plague victims were buried beneath this small, rural church.

The remains of an ancient bathhouse sit inside this aptly-named pub.

A stained-glass window from the 15th century offers a vision of the end of the world.

A collection of more than 1,000 teddies from nearly any profession.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.

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

This quirky little private museum is home to more than a thousand stones, carved by nature, that resemble human faces.

This small Japanese street is lined with figures, sculptures and a shrine dedicated to frogs.

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.

Would you spend the night in Japan's deepest train station?

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.

Ward off bad luck and fill your bottle with "the most watery water" at this little roadside shrine in Yonezawa.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

450 dead and frozen fish, proudly on display in Japan.

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

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

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.

This mountain's identity is stuck somewhere between a nightmare and a scenic tourist attraction.

A natural wonder with mythological ties to the local Ainu tradition.

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