Is this cat asleep or just pretending?

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

The seat of the lost Ryukyu Kingdom has survived numerous fires and wars over the centuries.

Turn around and stick your head between your legs for the best view of this tree-covered sandbar.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

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

A train ride to the middle of nowhere gives its passengers some of the most iconic views of Japan's seasons.

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

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

Okinawan dining in a twenty foot tall, man-made tree house overlooking Naha Harbor.

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

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

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

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

A museum run by retired highway engineers who helped rebuild after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

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

Elaborate series of tunnels where traces of mass suicide are still visible.

The largest of the Fuji Five Lakes is home to an impressive swan population—some real, some with paddles, and one with an observation deck.

These Japanese gardens are blankets of light for dark winter nights.

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.

This isolated Japanese mountain village untouched by time showcases unique and stunning traditional architecture.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.