The remains of the vast manor that once belonged to Lord Kira, villain in the 47 Ronin story, is now a shrine dedicated to the incident.

This monument celebrates this shopping district's past history as a feudal silver mint.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

Visitors to this park are welcomed by an ancient Japanese megalithic tomb that dates back to the sixth century.

Tragic reminders of the 1945 firebombing campaign over Tokyo still haunt this bridge.

A flight of this "ghost staircase" has 40 steps on the way up, but only 39 steps on the way down.

This shrine dedicated to a legendary swordsman has become a pilgrimage site for the ill and infirmed.

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

The train engine is tucked under an apartment building on a quiet Tokyo street.

Discover the past, present, and future of packaging in this unique Japanese museum.

Disaster prevention apartment blocks in Sumida Ward are designed to save as many as possible in the face of the inevitable.

This “peasant café” in the middle of Tokyo re-creates the atmosphere of the Japanese countryside.

This tiny museum hidden above a restaurant houses thousands of modern and traditional kites.

The small candy-colored ride is the last rooftop Ferris wheel in Tokyo.

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

A cool dive bar, off the beaten track.

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.

For hundreds of years, participants in this Japanese festival have been making babies cry to ward off demons.

A giant robo-cockroach building devours Tokyo.

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