When this massive wooden temple ran out of rope, they made one out of devotees' hair.

"The Dance of Fools" is Japan's largest dance festival.

This tiny museum hidden above a restaurant houses thousands of modern and traditional kites.

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

One of the world's largest ancient burial mounds.

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.

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

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

Each year this Japanese temple overflows with scowling, bearded good luck talismans.

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

Giant sand sculptures of famous people and places are on display near the Tottori sand dunes.

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

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

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

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

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

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

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

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

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

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