A giant robo-cockroach building devours Tokyo.

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.

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

The home and studio of one of Japan's most avant-garde artists is now a museum showcasing his surreal works.

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

Rumored to be a giant robot in disguise, this colossal chef has been the beloved symbol of Tokyo’s kitchenware district for decades.

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

Tokyo’s “Kitchen Town” hosts a number of shops selling intricate food replicas.

A tiny street lined with eleven distinct Tanuki statues, each representing a different wish.

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

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

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

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

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

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

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

A lush vertical garden blooming in the heart of Paris.

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

Part mural and part sculpture, this work of art sits in the middle of the Promenade, as if swimming in a river of asphalt towards the ocean.

A beautifully eclectic mix of architectural styles.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.