A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

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

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

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

The ruins of Japan’s premier water brothel.

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

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

This ruined Japanese stripclub sits half burnt to the ground.

Oddly touching memorial to a little-remembered nuclear tragedy.

White beach sands made of the remains of tiny, star shaped creatures.

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

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.

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

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

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

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

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

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

A steaming, boiling hellscape sources Hokkaido's thermal baths.

The world's largest drain sits below the city of Kasukabe, Japan.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

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

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.