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

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

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

The self-mummified monks of Japan.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

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

Open-air museum with an elaborate sculpture garden, stretching for over 70,000 square-meters.

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

You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.