The world’s first penitentiary, meant to be humane, drove men insane.

America's most famous museum of medical oddities is home to the remains of Albert Einstein's brain.

A serene space tucked amid the skyscrapers of Hong Kong's bustling financial district.

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

A museum dedicated to the least secret spy is actually an attempt to get Hollywood's attention.

An abandoned giant glass dome sits in the bay in “the Venice of the East.”

Two ogres stand guard at the Oga Visitor Center.

Buddha figures are carved into volcanic rocks on the seashore of Yamagara Prefecture.

An open-air museum exhibiting a total of 52 century-old buildings, recreating Hokkaido’s “pioneer village.”

This frescoed ancient burial mound is a colorful window into China’s influence in early Japan.

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

A 14th-century European chapel sticks out of the facade of a Japanese hotel.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

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

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

Largest graveyard in all of Japan surrounds a famous mausoleum.

An unlikely hit, this museum is dedicated to the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodles.

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

A museum dedicated to the history of Tokyo's often-overlooked working-class district.

A real-life replica of a home from Hayao Miyazaki's beloved movie "My Neighbor Totoro."

A Japanese corporation has turned this small island town into living modern art gallery.

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

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

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