The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

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

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

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

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

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

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

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

One of the largest ancient geoglyphs in the world is a tall desert god used for predicting the weather.

This large round boulder is said to emit spiritual power, but it may just be magnets.

This was once the center of the Birdman cult, and is now a World Heritage Site.

A fantastical group of cliffside stairways, bridges, and twisting paths carved out of stone provide a surreal coastal hike.

The true depths of these stunning Moroccan caves are unknown.

A mud brick kasbah with a history of lavishness and traitorship.

The other side is actually green.

Crumbling necropolis set high above Fez.

The jewel of western Mexico's archaeological legacy is this tiered circular pyramid now covered in grass.

An ancient system of freshwater caves filled with animal bones, including that of species long-extinct.

Two waterfalls flow down the cliff faces decorated with rare natural basalt columns.

The largest cave shaft in the world is home to thousands of birds and popular with BASE jumpers.

High atop a Mexican rainforest mountain, this ancient pyramid once drew pilgrims countries away.

The abstract sandstone rock formations at this Algerian national park are rich with prehistoric art.

A sculpture of a giant hand reaches for the stars in the middle of the Atacama desert.