Places samireland Wants to Go

One in a pair of subterranean caves created by an ancient eruption of Mount Fuji.

Japan's first automaton went missing, only to be revived by the Osaka Science Museum.

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

A statue erected on an infamous cliff where young boys would hold dangerous "pee offs" to prove their mettle.

A remote and slightly overgrown park filled with replicas of world landmarks.

This mountain's identity is stuck somewhere between a nightmare and a scenic tourist attraction.

Watch out for the two-story Godzilla made out of tires.

The giant figure on the back of this turtle-shaped temple actually hides a memorial pendulum.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

One of the tallest statues in the world, and the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.

A semi-abandoned replica of Prince Edward Island's Avonlea—in Japan.

A dilapidated amusement park with a million-dollar view.

The world's shortest escalator doesn't seem to have any reason to exist other than to hold a world record.

Giant art made in Japanese rice fields.

The only Edo-period ferry that is still in operation in Tokyo today.

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

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

Perhaps the world's cheapest vending machines.

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

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

This high-design church is made up of two dizzying spirals meant to evoke the weaving together of marriage.

These wondrously illuminated caverns extend under the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture.

One of the few surviving World War II-era air-raid shelters in Tokyo.

A small Japanese village claims to be the final resting place of the son of God (and God's other son's ear).