Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

A strip of traditional hand towel serves as an admission ticket at this modern tenugui museum.

In 806, Kobo Daishi began meditating on Mount Misen. The Buddhist monk lit this holy fire, which has been kept burning for 1,200 years.

A unique shrine dedicated to the deified skull of a 17th-century Tokyo courtesan.

Buddha figures are carved into volcanic rocks on the seashore of Yamagara Prefecture.

A gorgeous, nostalgic café housed in a lofty old warehouse, lit only by petroleum lamps.

This is no ordinary coffee chain outlet—it's an architectural masterpiece.

Rice balls symbolize fate and relationship at this adorable shrine, which was once dedicated to the Buddhist Devil.

A small laundromat covered wall-to-ceiling with portrait drawings.

An open-air museum exhibiting a total of 52 century-old buildings, recreating Hokkaido’s “pioneer village.”

In the oldest zen temple stands a descendant of the very tree that introduced tea to Japanese culture.

This bathhouse includes an option to soak in radioactive water.

It is believed that this Buddhist temple stands right on the gateway to the underworld.

A museum of space exploration in the UFO capital of Japan.

A serene mountaintop temple complex featuring one big, bronze Buddha.

A lonely chimpanzee lures you into a narrow alley leading to this hidden shrine.

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

Legend has it that centuries ago, a ghost once frequented this candy shop to feed her still-living baby.

This cozy café is housed in a repurposed pharmacy originally built in 1927.

A unique art exhibit home to letters addressed to those unable to receive them.

A miniature shrine in the busy corner of Tokyo's historic Broadway, honoring a sextet of unusual entertainment gods.

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

Plagued with warts? Leave a frog at this small shrine in the city of Tosa, and you may be cured.

This 24-hour vending machine serves up homemade treats inspired by the local Japanese snow monkeys.