A bizarre object of worship believed to grant wishes to those who tie it up with a rope.

Japan's corrupt-mental-institution themed restaurant offers diners a chance to eat inside of filthy cells.

This lesser-visited gallery in a corner of the Tokyo National Museum complex is an architectural beauty dedicated to the ancient treasures of Hōryū-ji.

Installed in 1965, this whimsical slide has spawned a brood of “octopus mountains” across Japan.

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

Life-sized statues of two characters from a decades-long Japanese film series stand outside Shibamata station.

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

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

Disaster prevention apartment blocks in Sumida Ward are designed to save as many as possible in the face of the inevitable.

Sample specialties from Xinjiang at this Shinjuku neighborhood gem.

One of three official copies of Marcel Duchamp's enigmatic masterpiece is on display in an obscure Tokyo museum.

Inspired by the famous sculptures on Easter Island, this head serves as a popular meeting spot by Shibuya Station.

This museum showcases the art of ancient sword-making.

When this clock strikes a certain time, puppets showcase a story of life in Edo Japan.

A giant robo-cockroach building devours Tokyo.

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

Starship-temple contains 400 tons of drinking water and offers free Japanese lessons.

A railway station takeout shop sells boxed meals in containers shaped like trains and snowmen that hold the country’s abundant regional delicacies.

Go through the looking glass in Tokyo's Wonderland-themed shop.

The Hanshin Expressway goes right through its 5th, 6th, and 7th floors.

The “bridge of return” is haunted by a myriad of legends, from ghosts to demons to nuptial superstitions.

This statue of Buddha has a distinctive hairstyle meant to represent an unfathomably long period of meditation.

An LED art installation composed of 600 poles wrapped in kimono fabric.

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.