This emotive sculpture was originally created for the 1878 World's Fair.

Blowtorches, tuna, and a jolly, chain-smoking proprietor mark this beloved street-food stand.

A cool dive bar, off the beaten track.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

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

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

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.

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

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

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

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

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

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

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

Once the most densely populated place in the world, this island is now a ghost town.

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

Locals rallied to save this beloved mural after someone mistakenly attempted to cover it.

It was meant to help transport wounded soldiers to a secret underground hospital.

Sweden's oldest animated sign is still lighting up the skyline today.