A little piece of the Shire is hidden behind a plant nursery in Port Orchard, Washington.

This semi-secret garden in south Seattle emulates a traditional Japanese garden using the plants of the Pacific Northwest.

Rustic natural hot springs in the deciduous rain forest.

This concert pavilion on the shore of the Great Salt Lake has been destroyed by fire, water, and disinterest but keeps coming back.

A small flooded ghost town with a few scattered structures remaining.

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

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

Reportedly 1,400 years old, this may be the first of the Fiji Mermaids.

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

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

One of Japan's most famous sights, the bridge was originally built in 1673.

Steaming blood-red hot spring from hell.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

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

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired Princess Mononoke.

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

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

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.

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