These sculptures were created by a 17th-century artist who had never seen an elephant.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

A Buddhist temple on an artificial island that houses a monument to the fugu fish.

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

Is this cat asleep or just pretending?

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

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

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese Shrine.

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

Japanese island famous for poison gas and fluffy bunnies.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

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