The headquarters of one of Japan’s leading astronomy research institutions features several historic observatory facilities and a 2,000-year-old burial mound.

In 806, Kobo Daishi began meditating on Mount Misen. The Buddhist monk lit this holy fire, which has been kept burning for 1,200 years.

This Japanese national treasure was originally built in 593.

This enormous "shamoji" means more to the people of Miyajima than just a way getting rice onto a plate.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

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

This glass wall is gradually filling up with paper cranes, in honor of Hiroshima’s past and dedication to its future.

A mountaintop Buddhist temple with panoramic views of Hiroshima.

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

A long-forgotten homage to an eldritch, sassy spider yōkai that was once worshipped here as a god.

Officially the lowest mountain in Japan.

A 20,000-year-old fossilized forest is preserved at this unique museum.

This izakaya restaurant was designed to look like the Biblical vessel.

A giant rooftop ride with unbeatable views of Matsuyama city, the nearby mountain ranges, and the Inland Sea.

One of the last great old-school fish markets in Japan's Tohoku Region.

A heart-shaped rock hollow amid lush scenery in Japan.

Established in 1950, this humble burger joint is the oldest surviving one in Japan.

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

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.

Although it has never been a secret ninja base, this shrine still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

The world's longest tunnel with an undersea section.

A strange tribute to all the fallen souls of war.

An abandoned giant glass dome sits in the bay in “the Venice of the East.”

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