A shop full of natural curiosities, carnivorous plants, and costumed taxidermied mice.

A tribute to the artist and activist who created the rainbow pride flag.

This surreptitious shop is only open five hours per week.

The oldest burial ground in the city, final resting place of city founders, Ohlone natives and murderers alike.

A nondescript building that's been functioning as a speakeasy for nearly a century and a half.

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.

Where a demonstration led to equal rights for one of California's most marginalized communities.

This antique shop specializes in the history of print and design.

This 19th-century church is now a popular roller rink.

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.

Make your own fake treats at this factory and workshop in the epicenter of Japan's food replica industry.

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

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

A remote and slightly overgrown park filled with replicas of world landmarks.

A lesser-known sister to Paris's world-famous museum, located within a Buddhist sculpture paradise.

A museum run by retired highway engineers who helped rebuild after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

This bathhouse includes an option to soak in radioactive water.

Be a ninja - or just act like one.

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

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

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

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

Have a soak at this retro bathhouse, where you will find Japan's first electric bath, tiling from Spain, and wood carvings representing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

Giant origami sculptures tucked into desert scenery beckon passers-by to explore further.