Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.

The site of Japan's first major environmental disaster.

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

This ancient burial site was once thought to be the home of a race distinctive to Ainu folklore.

The oldest academic institution in Japan provides a glimpse of university life during the days of the samurai.

The demolished ruins of a poorly located Japanese Love Hotel.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

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

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

This mysterious medieval grotto holds a grid of sacred wells of unknown purpose.

A quaint amusement park now sits, rusting and forgotten among the foliage.

Access to this hidden site of a 14th-century mass suicide is prohibited, unless it is to pray for the dead.

This temple is steeped in local folklore involving a teakettle and a raccoon dog.

Haunted house kitsch meets Japanese folklore at this theme bar where patrons can “die” and have their own mock funeral.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

Remnants of an old bank adorn this station's brick wall.

This western-themed amusement park is host to a large number of decaying animatronic cowboys.

The last remaining predreadnought battleship in the world has been a museum for nearly a century.

Home to herbal cosmetics, teas, and a unique set of dolls known as kitchen witches.

Located in a remote mountain valley in Yamagata Prefecture, these hot springs have attracted bathers for over 450 years.

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

A small island with no monkeys but plenty of military ruins.

This faux-seedy Japanese arcade is made up to look like a maze of alleys straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia.

The train engine is tucked under an apartment building on a quiet Tokyo street.