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

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.

The origin of this bizarre, ghostly idol is a local mystery, even to the temple it calls home.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

This gnome sculpture and his wonderous hat forces train passengers to do a double-take.

A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

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.”

This park boasts a unusual collection of curious monuments from around the world, from Micronesia to Antarctica.

The decommissioned steam engine’s whistle can still be heard three times a day at one of Japan’s oldest train stations.

Steampunk, humanoid sculptures crawl on all fours in a Tokyo plaza.

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

Built in 1547, these ruins lie on a rocky promontory in Ballintoy jutting into the wild ocean waters below.

Originally built to monitor fishing, this Victorian tower now educates visitors about the local salmon industry.

This cemetery overlooking the Benbulben rock formation is the final resting place of one of Ireland's most beloved poets.

Mortarless walls that stretch for miles are a lovely solution for creating grazing land in the harsh terrain of the Aran Islands.

The world's toughest modern Christian pilgrimage leads directly to the gates of Hell.

A stunning Victorian abbey and walled garden on a lakefront.

Japan's largest collection of Western-style mansions in the port city of Kobe includes a recreation of Sherlock Holmes' 221B Baker Street quarters.

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

This bridge is so steep it looks like a rollercoaster.

The hometown of a beloved manga artist created a treasure hunt for his popular ghostly characters.

A sobering scientific reminder of the human damage caused by the advent of the nuclear age.

The statue's head is one of the few fragments of the original Urakami Cathedral to survive the atomic bomb.