Cherry blossom season comes early in this Japanese town where pink flowers line the streets and riverbanks.

This retro underwater observation tower would make the perfect lair for a sea-loving villain.

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

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

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

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

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

This subterranean spot might be the epitome of Japan's baroque, retro coffee houses.

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

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

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

This Japanese national treasure was originally built in 593.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

We heard you like volcanoes so we put a volcano in your volcano so you can die for sure...

Chiseled out of a sandstone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins.

The birthplace of Japanese coinage.

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

Home to a legend of the supernatural raccoon dog, a rare wooden structure of Edo, and witnesses of the Tokyo bombings.

Haunted by a giant white snake, this pond is said to bring the rain and pubic hair.