A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.

A small shrine dedicated to a god of lightning and electronics.

The “bridge of return” is haunted by a myriad of legends, from ghosts to demons to nuptial superstitions.

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

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

This Kyoto Starbucks takes coffee drinkers back in time.

With over 12,000 different species of plants, this botanical garden is Japan's oldest and most diverse.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.

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

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

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

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

Experience park where visitors are told to expect the unexpected.

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

This giant fashion model is one of the most beloved symbols of Nagoya.

This reconstructed castle was once the base of the “Devil King” who almost united the feudal warring states.

In a shopping arcade, a modernized temple deeply tied to feudal Japan’s prominent warlords.

A replica of an ancient alien-like idol humorously represents spectacles in a corner of this shrine complex.

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

A group of medieval rock-cut Buddhist statues created to save people from the volcanic hell that surrounds them.