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

This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

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

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

Legend has it that centuries ago, a ghost once frequented this candy shop to feed her still-living baby.

It is believed that this Buddhist temple stands right on the gateway to the underworld.

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.

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

The groundbreaking Japanese shrine maiden who invented the art of kabuki.

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

Burial mound for the ears and noses of thousands of mutilated Korean soldiers.

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

The first location of the eventual video game giant.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

This bar is filled with Star Wars merchandise from around the world, all of it unlicensed knockoffs.

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

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

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

Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.

At the time of its construction, this type of door was nearly unheard of.

A memorial to the Indian victims of the devastating 1923 earthquake, built in glorious Mughal style.

The Port of Yokohama’s customs headquarters building resembles a Moorish kasbah, complete with a minaret.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

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