Japan's largest and oldest annual procession of floats, begun in 869.

Shrine dedicated to boars that is believed to cure foot and leg injuries.

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

An infamous house made famous by director Takashi Shimizu.

The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.

A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.

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

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

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

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

Children's literature inside, forest all around.

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

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

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

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

Unusual hexagonal rocks formed by cooling lava named for their resemblance to traditional Japanese tatami mats.

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

The world’s first hotel to be run by robots.