Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

Each year this Japanese temple overflows with scowling, bearded good luck talismans.

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

The divine septet of Japanese fortune gods are rendered in 1,000 year old wood at this peaceful site.

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.

The largest volcanic caldera in Japan holds an entire city in its maw.

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

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

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

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

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

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.

Historical Japanese-Dutch relations are honored with haunted rides and flower fields in this replica town.

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

This active volcano's siren song to suicide jumpers forced authorities to build a fence.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

This sawtooth mountain range still bears the strangely lovely marks of its history as a medieval quarry.

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