Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

Only electricity pylon built over two lanes of traffic.

Though it won't take you far, the wood train housed at this station is the last of its kind in Japan.

A statue meant to celebrate peace has also been interpreted as a mother taking away her son's internet privileges.

The oldest academic institution in Japan provides a glimpse of university life during the days of the samurai.

A kitsch shrine dedicated to the ogre-slaying folktale hero born from a peach.

The birthplace of Japanese coinage.

A cursed torii gate still stands on the edge of Haneda Airport, decades after its shrine's relocation.

The "largest bathroom stall in the world" offers a unique pit-stop experience.

This ancient burial cave along a roadside is also home to several Buddhist sculptures.

This often-overlooked monument was crafted in the shape of the iconic samurai coin to honor an Edo-period mint.

The remains of the vast manor that once belonged to Lord Kira, villain in the 47 Ronin story, is now a shrine dedicated to the incident.

Stretching for 22 miles, the world's longest tree-lined avenue dates back to the early 17th-century.

For centuries, this gold mine was the powerhouse behind the Tokugawa Shogunate.

This massive, Edo Period, coin-shaped sand painting is believed to be a source of great luck.

Japan's iconic sci-fi hero rendered to 8-bit by notorious French street artist Invader.

A sad reminder of the World War II bombing stands largely unnoticed on a street corner.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Chiseled out of a sandstone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins.

These tiny pine-covered islands have inspired art and poetry for centuries.

A wooden prison doesn't sound like a good idea, yet this abandoned 1950s detention center still stands today.

At a Japanese train station, a goddess emerges from a dumpling.

A park built around the legend of a clam-loving giant who created a monumental midden.

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