A statue of the forgotten American who helped transform Hokkaido and Japan.

This Buddhist temple may have the best example of a Pure Land garden in Japan.

This station on an abandoned railway line, named for “happiness,” is still a popular destination for lovers.

Japan’s oldest clock tower has been called one of the country’s most disappointing attractions.

This ornate example of 19th-century Chinese architecture is one of only a handful of Confucius shrines in Japan.

Celebrating the famous Nebuta festival of Aomori and showcasing its huge papier-mâché floats.

Up on the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower sits an American mascot that became Osaka’s own lucky god.

A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

You can receive a blessing for your electronics at this Shinto shrine near Akihabara.

Learn about the indigenous people of Japan's northernmost islands.

The northernmost of the 12 surviving feudal castles of Japan is known as a cherry blossom viewing spot.

Try maple leaf tempura at the trailside shop that brought it back from oblivion.

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.

The only natural gorge in metropolitan Tokyo, with lots of greenery and ancient burial chambers.

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.

A 1000-year-old shrine in Kyoto with a poorly planned sacred arch.

This compact temple is filled with garlands of colorful balls that represent restrained monkeys.

Japan's largest and oldest annual procession of floats, begun in 869.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

This neighborhood thoroughfare is haunted by dozens of homemade monsters.

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.

One of the world's largest ancient burial mounds.

Visitors to this temple are greeted by a massive collection of wooden dolls said to bring good fortune.