An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

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

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

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

This sawtooth mountain range still bears the strangely lovely marks of its history as a medieval quarry.

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

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life.

A Buddhist temple to honor insects that died for science.

Meet the world's longest tapeworm in a collection that really gets under your skin.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

Drinkslinger is an unlikely vocation for a Buddhist monk, but at this Tokyo bar the enlightenment is served in a martini glass.

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

This pond is so stunning it looks like you've stepped into one of Monet's masterpieces.

A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

Nine Gardens in one—with tea service.

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.

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

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

The original "capsule building" is a masterpiece of Metabolist architecture.

The magical, mossy forest that inspired Princess Mononoke.