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

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.

Only recently added to the shrine, this googly-eyed snail demon of unknown origin is said to have eye-healing powers.

The cemetery houses the remains of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, one of Japan's most famous novelists.

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

Located in a remote mountain valley in Yamagata Prefecture, these hot springs have attracted bathers for over 450 years.

Once the main gateway to Tokyo, sneaking through this checkpoint was a capital offense in feudal times.

A rare example of an ancient Japanese hill castle believed to be the fortress of a legendary demon.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

A statue of a mischievous raccoon towers over this city park.

This giant seated Bhudda of Healing dates to the 1780s.

This little known mountain has claimed four times as many lives as Everest.

Fans line up at the crack of dawn for a slurpy bowl of deliciousness at this noodle counter inside a factory.

According to one legend, this bridge was crafted after monkeys formed a body-bridge across the gorge.

The floats housed in this hall are more than 100 years old, and are brought out for an annual celebration.

Nope, not the one in France. The only officially-recognized reproduction of Monet’s garden in Giverny is located in a remote corner of Japan.

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.

A 14th-century European chapel sticks out of the facade of a Japanese hotel.

One in a pair of subterranean caves created by an ancient eruption of Mount Fuji.

A monk-run winery inside a Buddhist temple celebrates Japan's crown grape varietal.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

"Bug Bug" Land, a natural park for beetle watching, still hasn't fully recovered from Fukushima's nuclear disaster.

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

A remote and slightly overgrown park filled with replicas of world landmarks.