Weighing nearly seven tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

A miniature shrine in the busy corner of Tokyo's historic Broadway, honoring a sextet of unusual entertainment gods.

In Asakusa, Tokyo's very own Walk of Fame.

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

According to local legend, an ancient serial killer nicknamed the “Hag” once haunted this pond.

Tragic reminders of the 1945 firebombing campaign over Tokyo still haunt this bridge.

Rubbing salt on this small stone dog is said to make wishes come true.

Daikon radishes are offered to the Japanese Buddhist counterpart of the Hindu god Ganesha at this historic hilltop temple.

Rice balls symbolize fate and relationship at this adorable shrine, which was once dedicated to the Buddhist Devil.

A shrine dedicated to a 10th-century samurai emperor, whose head is not buried on site (contrary to popular belief).

Guarding the city of Chiyoda is a bizarre insectile creature with a name no one can pronounce.

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

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

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

Losing lottery tickets are deposited at this shrine in hopes of better luck.

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.

Tell this pair of "love-inviting" cats in Ginza your romantic hopes.

Unbeknownst to many, an ancient burial mound hides in plain sight in Ueno Park.

Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

A vast Communist-era exhibition space in the Bulgarian capital.

A collection of art from Bulgaria's time as a communist state.

The world's only museum devoted to the wonders of fluorescence.

Famed for its pie, this eatery has a hidden tunnel that allowed Catholics to secretly walk to church during the Reformation.

This impressive collection of rare books on ancient mysticism inspired author Dan Brown.