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

One of Kyoto's oldest food establishments has supplied soba noodles to temple priests and the Imperial Palace.

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

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

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

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

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

Coast along one of Japan’s mountain railways for coveted views of magnificent hydrangeas.

Museum showcases Japanese sexuality and some amazing ocean views.

Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.

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

The bartenders at this crime-fighting theme cafe are actual private detectives by day.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

Transport yourself to the 1980s era of video games at this themed restaurant and bar.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

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

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

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.