Sidle into a side alley for a taste of sumo wrestlers' traditional hot-pot soup, in a tiny restaurant founded by a former competitor.

One of the bloodiest and most important battles in Japanese history is recreated with kitschy concrete statues.

A statue of a mischievous raccoon towers over this city park.

When this massive wooden temple ran out of rope, they made one out of devotees' hair.

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.

The floats housed in this hall are more than 100 years old, and are brought out for an annual celebration.

It's bad manners to eat and drink on the subways of Tokyo, unless the train is this bar. 

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

More tin toys than you can shake a clapping monkey at.

Ever needed a chocolate-filled crepe in the wee hours of the morning?

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

This “peasant café” in the middle of Tokyo re-creates the atmosphere of the Japanese countryside.

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.

A sobering scientific reminder of the human damage caused by the advent of the nuclear age.

A 59-ft. robot statue looks over the citizens of earthquake-ravaged Kobe.

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

This bridge is so steep it looks like a rollercoaster.

Make your own fake treats at this factory and workshop in the epicenter of Japan's food replica industry.

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.

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

An infamous house made famous by director Takashi Shimizu.

A museum dedicated to the history of Tokyo's often-overlooked working-class district.