Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.

Though technically an illegal structure, this eclectic DIY apartment complex is beloved by its residents.

High in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture, a magnificent library designed by a world-famous architect.

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.

Japan's longest-running music festival takes place on an isolated butterfly-shaped island.

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

Running through lush forests and across the Tadami River, this train line offers breathtaking views of rural Japan.

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

These Japanese ruins have been brought back to life with elaborately recreated buildings.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

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

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

Japan's largest area of "pink moss" turns the hillside bright pink every spring.

This mesmerizingly colorful pond looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale.

One of the only two archaeological sites in Japan to feature petroglyphs, which some believe to be a long-lost writing system of the gods.

A natural wonder with mythological ties to the local Ainu tradition.

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.

The largest archaeological site from the Yayoi period.

The former site of Fukuoka’s legendary ramen joint works hard to guide customers to the “original” original.

A deserted island in southwest Japan that once sheltered persecuted Christians.

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

Ruins and statues dot the landscape of this tiny island rich with royal history.

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