Japan's first automaton went missing, only to be revived by the Osaka Science Museum.

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.

This bathhouse includes an option to soak in radioactive water.

The oldest operating company in the entire world, founded in 578 AD

A thick blanket of beautiful pampas grass cloaks this unique Japanese landscape.

A Japanese shrine to dolls.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

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

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

Visit a speakeasy-like indie cinema specializing in 16mm and 35mm films.

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

The literal midpoint of the city, as all distances are calculated from this point

An office building covered from head to toe in over eighty variety of plants

One of the first hotel rooms in a pod.

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

A Japanese fertility god in the shape of a large phallus.

This Western confectionery in Kobe made the German tree stump cake into a Japanese staple.

An astounding annual light display honors the victims of one of Japan's most devastating earthquakes.

This one-of-a-kind indie publisher-bookshop specializes in archiving historic red-light districts and niche cultural topics of the Shōwa era.

This century-old electronics store-turned-cafe serves comforting, retro fare.

Students pray here in hopes of entering one of Japan’s most prestigious universities.

A small shrine run entirely by vending machines.

Dedicated to the armor and weapons used by the legendary Japanese warriors.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”