One of Los Angeles's first murals once vibrantly depicted the dangers of United States imperialism.

This bizarre residential building is the masterpiece of Von Jour Caux, the “Gaudí of Japan.”

Tatar Russian in origin, the largest mosque in Japan is now an Ottoman-style Turkish culture center.

Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

Peer into this window for an interesting glimpse into the public utilities that make this city run.

These unique toilets feature transparent glass covered in PDLC film.

Life-sized statues of two characters from a decades-long Japanese film series stand outside Shibamata station.

The only Edo-period ferry that is still in operation in Tokyo today.

If you look closely at the oldest bridge in Paris, you might notice hundreds of ugly faces leering from its sides.

Originally meant to hold a statue of King William IV, this support sat empty for years. Today, it hosts a rotating cast of public artwork.

Some 80,000 Delft Blue tiles line the inside of this Amsterdam walkway.

One of the best-preserved remains of "Tokyo's lost rivers."

Since Tokyo's Kiyosu Bridge was inspired by a historic bridge that crossed over the Rhine, this viewing spot is known as a "view of Cologne."

Once the park closes at sunset, the greatest haiku poet of all time moves to face the Sumida River.

Losing lottery tickets are deposited at this shrine in hopes of better luck.

This public bathroom takes the form of a 19th-century lighthouse that once stood on the spot.

Disused for decades, this freight railway bridge is finally being renovated into a scenic promenade.

A commemoration of the first Dutchman to reach Japan, whose name still echoes in the heart of Tokyo.

An alchemical monument that represents "Earth, Air, Fire, and Water."

This coffee shop lies hidden beneath a historic church.

The seat of the lost Ryukyu Kingdom has survived numerous fires and wars over the centuries.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

A hole-in-the-wall antiquities museum in one of Tokyo's most popular megamalls.