A stretch of the Iwai River that features beautiful rocky cliffs, rapids, and flying dango.

Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.

A whimsical museum dedicated to the mischievous kappa, a mythical cucumber-loving water sprite.

High in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture, a magnificent library designed by a world-famous architect.

These wondrously illuminated caverns extend under the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture.

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

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.

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

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

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

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

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

A meditative space out of a fantasy story.

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.

A unique art exhibit home to letters addressed to those unable to receive them.

The fairy tale castle of the "fairy-tale king."

The world’s oldest and biggest bookstore stocking only mystery, crime fiction, espionage, and thrillers.

These fantastically named natural pools look like something out of a Scottish myth.

World's largest collection of serial killer artwork and other macabre exhibits.

A terrific purveyor of natural history objects and curios.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

If you forgot something to read during your trip to Tokyo, this hostel has you covered.

Hidden by the roadside in the Iya Valley, this gem brings together folk monsters and the region's unique geography.