The statue's head is one of the few fragments of the original Urakami Cathedral to survive the atomic bomb.

Japan's first automaton went missing, only to be revived by the Osaka Science Museum.

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

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.

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

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

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

The largest volcanic caldera in Japan holds an entire city in its maw.

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

A restaurant modeled after feudal Japan, where the waitstaff are trained as ninjas.

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

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

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

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

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

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

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

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

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

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