According to one legend, this bridge was crafted after monkeys formed a body-bridge across the gorge.

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

Once the main gateway to Tokyo, sneaking through this checkpoint was a capital offense in feudal times.

These wondrously illuminated caverns extend under the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

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

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

Stone slabs along the coast warn of Japan's tsunami-ravaged past, often marking the highest point of a wave's reach.

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

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

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 traditional Japanese-style house doubles as one of James Turrell's colorful works of art.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

One of the world's largest ancient burial mounds.

A dilapidated amusement park with a million-dollar view.

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

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.

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.