Teeming with illegal goods and services, this towering maze of vice is also a popular tourist accommodation.

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

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

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

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

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

Closed for decades, this strange symbol of Japan's Expo '70 has finally opened its psychedelic insides to the public.

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

This sprawling scenic burial ground is the final resting place of Japan's last shogun.

Meet the world's longest tapeworm in a collection that really gets under your skin.

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

One of Japan's most famous sights, the bridge was originally built in 1673.

This Japanese national treasure was originally built in 593.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

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

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

Burial site of the world's most widely known researcher on the endangered mountain gorilla.

This breathtaking island on Rwanda’s Lake Kivu is a haven for thousands of fruit bats.

This monument is a stark reminder of the horrors of the Zanzibar slave trade.

This slowly crumbling mansion was home to one of East Africa's richest and most powerful slave traders.