The oldest academic institution in Japan provides a glimpse of university life during the days of the samurai.

Enormous underground chamber built to detect 'ghost particles' of the universe.

This historic castle is one of the oldest and most impressive in all of Japan.

The largest of its kind in Japan, this century-old wasabi farm is also known for its appearance in an Akira Kurosawa film.

Take a few seconds to look at this abandoned, art-filled station as you pass by on the subway to Ueno.

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

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

This massive, beautifully-lit underground quarry leaves visitors in awe.

Chiseled out of a sandstone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins.

This quirky little private museum is home to more than a thousand stones, carved by nature, that resemble human faces.

A kitsch shrine dedicated to the ogre-slaying folktale hero born from a peach.

An anthropological theme park that depicts the cultures of around 20 different countries.

An ingenious solution to a tricky engineering problem, this spiraling bridge takes drivers for a dizzying spin.

The largest seated Buddha statue in Japan is the centerpiece of an abandoned complex in a quiet, seaside town.

This bizarre residential building is the masterpiece of Von Jour Caux, the “Gaudí of Japan.”

This western-themed amusement park is host to a large number of decaying animatronic cowboys.

A touching statue dedicated to Japan's first therapy dog.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

These Japanese ruins have been brought back to life with elaborately recreated buildings.

A disconnected rotary phone for "calling" lost loved ones offered a unique way of dealing with grief in disaster-stricken Japan.

A derelict New Zealand-themed amusement park in Japan.

A quaint amusement park now sits, rusting and forgotten among the foliage.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

A failed Russian themed village and amusement park in Niigata prefecture.