A commemoration of the first Dutchman to reach Japan, whose name still echoes in the heart of Tokyo.

This monument gives insight into how lost children were found in Edo-period Tokyo.

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

This small park holds what remains of a former prison and execution ground.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

This strange mural located in the Ueno station is filled with traditional Japanese symbolism.

A Buddhist temple on an artificial island that houses a monument to the fugu fish.

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

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

A painting marks the site of a historic skyscraper destroyed by the Great Kantō earthquake.

In Asakusa, Tokyo's very own Walk of Fame.

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.

Tragic reminders of the 1945 firebombing campaign over Tokyo still haunt this bridge.

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

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

This water goblin statue represents a 19th-century urban legend about a haunted canal that became a Japanese idiom.

Legend says the goddess this shrine honors curses any couples that pass by.

Inspired by the famous sculptures on Easter Island, this head serves as a popular meeting spot by Shibuya Station.