16 – Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
Japan is the homeland of shrines. With more than 80,000 national shrines you could say they are a very important part of Japanese culture. But one shrine tops them all; the Ise Grand Shrine, an ornate temple that is also the most expensive in Japan due to its intricate architecture.
And with that level of detail comes some pretty hefty maintenance too. Every 20 years the shrine is rebuilt at a cool million dollar price tag, in order to appease the Shinto tradition of death and renewal.
With all of this hard work you may fancy taking a look at this beautiful icon of Japanese culture yourself, but let us stop you there, unless of course you are a member of the Japanese imperial family. They are the only people on Earth who are granted that special permission.
