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.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

A little slice of Japan and its aesthetics in London's Holland Park.

The cemetery houses the remains of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, one of Japan's most famous novelists.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

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

A tiny, remote island packed with wonders both natural and geeky.

This Cambodian riverbed is covered in ancient Hindu carvings both above and below the waters.

Hoax, mistake, or evidence of dinosaurs in human times?

This impressive clifftop temple was once at the center of an international custody dispute.

Khmer Rouge's high security prison.

Limestone caves in the Cambodian countryside, once the site of genocide, now a place of peaceful beauty.

This tiered waterfall is so pretty it may cause visitors to cry tears of their own.

Thousands of effigies of Buddha watch from caves set high above a legendary river, plus whiskey.