This battleship of a building was designed by a famed "mad architect."

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

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

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

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

Its collection distills more than 60 years of pop culture in Japan, from Godzilla to Hulk Hogan.

This frescoed ancient burial mound is a colorful window into China’s influence in early Japan.

Existing for more than four centuries, the last of Hakone’s historic teahouses serves a sweet, mold-based rice drink.

Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.

At a Japanese train station, a goddess emerges from a dumpling.

A park built around the legend of a clam-loving giant who created a monumental midden.

This museum is dedicated to the cultural history of tobacco and salt, once monopolized in Japan.

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

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

The hometown of a beloved manga artist created a treasure hunt for his popular ghostly characters.

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.

Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.

Visitors to this park are welcomed by an ancient Japanese megalithic tomb that dates back to the sixth century.

This iconic sluice gate is a favorite haunt for joggers, fishing enthusiasts, and even ghost hunters.

This shrine dedicated to a legendary swordsman has become a pilgrimage site for the ill and infirmed.

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

A giant rooftop ride with unbeatable views of Matsuyama city, the nearby mountain ranges, and the Inland Sea.

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