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.”

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

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.

More than 300 years old, Kyoto's historic "teahouse" still operates as an invitation-only geisha club.

A shrine dedicated to the sacred white snakes of Iwakuni, whose albinism has been passed down for generations.

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

Existing for more than four centuries, the last of Hakone’s historic teahouses serves a sweet, mold-based rice drink.

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

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

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

A monk-run winery inside a Buddhist temple celebrates Japan's crown grape varietal.

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.

Turn around and stick your head between your legs for the best view of this tree-covered sandbar.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.

Make your own fake treats at this factory and workshop in the epicenter of Japan's food replica industry.

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

An unexpected curiosity cabinet hidden within a department store in the Japan Post tower.

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

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

A tiny collection of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, open only when the owner feels like it.