One of the largest producers of MSG in the world welcomes visitors to its Kawasaki factory with an albino panda named Aji-Kun.

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

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

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

An unexpected curiosity cabinet hidden within a department store in the Japan Post tower.

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.

The divine septet of Japanese fortune gods are rendered in 1,000 year old wood at this peaceful site.

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

Giant sand sculptures of famous people and places are on display near the Tottori sand dunes.

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

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

Historical Japanese-Dutch relations are honored with haunted rides and flower fields in this replica town.

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

The 43-mile route crosses through six islands with gorgeous views of the Seto Inland Sea.

The world's largest drain sits below the city of Kasukabe, Japan.

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.

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