This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

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

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.

Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

Transport yourself to the 1980s era of video games at this themed restaurant and bar.

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

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.”

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

The freshest fish here are the ones you catch yourself.

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

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

Go through the looking glass in Tokyo's Wonderland-themed shop.

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

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

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

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

This spa theme park lets its guests take a dip in pools of coffee, wine, or ramen broth.