A small shrine dedicated to a tanuki statue, tucked away in a Blade Runner-esque izakaya alley

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

Enjoy a flaming concoction steeped in steampunk, magic, and alchemy at this experimental cocktail bar.

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

More than 300 years old, Kyoto's historic "teahouse" still operates as an invitation-only geisha club.

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

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

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

150 kinds of unique sundaes and gigantic parfaits await at Kyoto’s iconic vintage café

Royal milk tea was invented here at the Far Eastern capital of Sir Thomas Lipton’s tea empire

The infamous 'Incident at Honnō-ji' brought an end to Oda Nobunaga’s attempt to unify a warring Japan.

An ancient Greek physician is honored as a god at this hole-in-the-wall shrine.

Shrine dedicated to boars that is believed to cure foot and leg injuries.

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

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

A rare statue representing a monk who peeled off his own face to show divinity

This extremely naked God of Drunkards welcomes visitors to Kochi Station.

This historic castle is one of the oldest and most impressive in all of Japan.

One of the world’s few undersea pedestrian tunnels connects Honshu and Kyushu islands.

These statues are dedicated to the damned souls of those executed centuries ago on the beautiful Yuigahama beach.

This frenetic mural recalls an annual festival that once took the city by storm.

Home to 800-year-old zen basin, a 400-year-old pilgrim’s path, and a century-old industrial grotto.

It is said that coins washed in the waters here will miraculously multiply.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.