A mile-long trail of pottery culture, full of clay pipes and lucky cats, including one that’s 12.5 feet tall.

An eerie cluster of medieval cave-like tombs carved out of a cliff, hidden in a historic mountain pass.

The first Venetian glass exhibit in Japan and one of the largest in the world.

This glass-themed tourist park in northern Japan feels like taking a step back in time.

A mountaintop shrine-temple guarded by a horde of half-demon priests.

According to local legend, an ancient serial killer nicknamed the “Hag” once haunted this pond.

Two ogres stand guard at the Oga Visitor Center.

A glimpse into life in 1830s Tokyo, back during the heyday of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Buddha figures are carved into volcanic rocks on the seashore of Yamagara Prefecture.

A collection of nostalgic items from the Showa era with an exhibit on the local ghost story of the Snow Woman.

A hidden alley with seven corners and handmade cat decorations.

Model trains whizz around an extensive room-sized diorama of Kyoto City.

The strange “kaiju” of Lake Imba that allegedly killed over a dozen men with a single strike of lightning.

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

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.

This giant two-tier celebration cake serves as a befitting advert for the confectionery college it sits on top of.

The origin of this bizarre, ghostly idol is a local mystery, even to the temple it calls home.

This mythical weapon stuck on the mountaintop is also the site of the first honeymoon in Japan's history.

They say the internet is forever but just in case, the shiba inu behind an iconic meme has been immortalized in bronze.

This iconic “station bento” comes in an earthenware pot you can take home and repurpose.

A bizarre statue of a Buddhist goddess made from 20,000 insects.

This theme park is not in Tokyo, not especially German, and certainly not a village.

In 806, Kobo Daishi began meditating on Mount Misen. The Buddhist monk lit this holy fire, which has been kept burning for 1,200 years.

Unchanged for decades, World War II-era bullet holes and nostalgic ghost signs still haunt this desolate train station.