A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

"Bug Bug" Land, a natural park for beetle watching, still hasn't fully recovered from Fukushima's nuclear disaster.

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

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

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

This town near Nagasaki is flecked with fruit-flavored bus stops.

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

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

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

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

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

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

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

Japanese island famous for poison gas and fluffy bunnies.

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.

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

A Japanese concept restaurant that feels like a party thrown by the monsters in your closet.

The original "capsule building" is a masterpiece of Metabolist architecture.

Cabaret where the show girls are all androids, and the patrons couldn't be more pleased.

A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.