The self-mummified monks of Japan.

A massive cave complex boasts some of the clearest water (and most charming bats) in the world.

A restaurant modeled after feudal Japan, where the waitstaff are trained as ninjas.

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

Experience park where visitors are told to expect the unexpected.

A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

A coin-operated washing machine turned jukebox, complete with an outdoor dance floor.

The "punniest place on Earth” has nearly as many bull-themed puns as it does people.

New Zealand's oldest prison holds a dark history and the scars of a deadly earthquake.

A strange machine made to evaluate the world economy using water and lots of tubes.

This quirky collection is an interactive exhibit crammed with creative contraptions and tinkered-with toys.

An eerily charming collection of salvaged buildings and curios grown out of a family scrap business.

Home to some of the world’s darkest skies, this project blends ancient Māori culture with world-class astro tourism.

New Zealand's epic shrine to all things puzzling.

The world's only complete colossal squid specimen is on display at the Te Papa Museum.

A galaxy of glowworms—larvae of a gnat—hides deep in the belly of these caves.

A Maori village obliterated by an 1886 volcanic eruption.

The most southerly spot on New Zealand's South Island is home to surreally shaped, permanently mangled trees.

One man's dream has turned into this naturally growing chapel made of almost nothing but trees.

The real life Hobbiton, this sheep farm has been forever transformed since being built for The Hobbit film series.

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.

A wonderful museum dedicated to the local straw hat industry.