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All Japan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Japan

593 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Japan

Updated December 8, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Tokyo
Kyoto
Space age accommodation!
Osaka
Painstaking, life-size recreation of a 1958 ramen boom town.
Yokohama
The line of Jizō statues.
Nikko
Anata No Warehouse
Kawasaki
All Cities
  1. Aomori
  2. Beppu
  3. Chichibu
  4. Fukuoka
  5. Hakone
  6. Hatsukaichi
  7. Himeji
  8. Hiroshima
  9. Ichihara
  10. Ise
  11. Ishigaki
  12. Iwakuni
  13. Kamakura
  14. Kawasaki
  15. Kawazu
  16. Kesennuma
  17. Kitakyushu
  18. Kobe
  19. Kumamoto
  20. Kumamoto
  21. Kure
  22. Kyonan
  23. Kyoto
  24. Matsumoto
  25. Minakami
  26. Mito
  27. Miyoshi
  28. Motobu
  29. Nagasaki
  30. Naoshima
  31. Nara
  32. Niigata
  33. Nikko
  34. Okinawa
  35. Onomichi
  36. Osaka
  37. Otaru
  38. Sado
  39. Sakaiminato
  40. Sapporo
  41. Sasebo
  42. Takasaki
  43. Takayama
  44. Tamura
  45. Tokyo
  46. Utsunomiya
  47. Yamanouchi
  48. Yokohama
  49. Yokosuka
  50. Yoshimi
Attractions
Food & Drink
Trips
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in Japan

Totoro stares out

Tokyo, Japan

Ghibli Museum

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.
Sagano Bamboo Forest

Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.
Fierce little cat.

Ishinomaki, Japan

Cat Island

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.
Monkeys lounging in the hot springs of the park

Yamanouchi, Japan

Jigokudani Monkey Park

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.

Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.
The clock is at the Nippon TV tower in Shiodome, Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

The Giant Ghibli Clock

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.
Sashimi on a stick.

Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.
See All 593 Things To Do in Japan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Japan

Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.
Sashimi on a stick.

Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

Tokyo, Japan

Omoide Yokocho

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”
The Red Wine Spa.

Hakone, Japan

Yunessun Spa Resort

This spa theme park lets its guests take a dip in pools of coffee, wine, or ramen broth.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Japan
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

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Artisans & Exiles: Exploring the Hidden Traditions of Japan’s Sado Island

Exploration through a history of exile, gold rush, and thriving cultural traditions.

Learn More

Explore Japan

History & Culture 108
Statues 59
Shrines 54
Temples 45
Buddhism 38
Art 32
Sacred Spaces 31
Architectural Oddities 30
Museums And Collections 30
Animals 26
Legends 26
Plants 26
Unique Restaurants & Bars 24
Places To Stay 11

Japan Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for Fred Cherrygarden
    Fred Cherrygarden
    230
  2. Avatar image for ChiaraT
    ChiaraT
    18
  3. Avatar image for KoinuSensei
    KoinuSensei
    12
  4. Avatar image for Hermit09
    Hermit09
    10
  5. Avatar image for caitlinfrunks
    caitlinfrunks
    10

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Fred Cherrygarden
    Fred Cherrygarden
    294
  2. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    55
  3. Avatar image for Molly McBride Jacobson
    Molly McBride Jacobson
    33
  4. Avatar image for Hermit09
    Hermit09
    31
  5. M
    Martin
    28

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for Fred Cherrygarden
    Fred Cherrygarden
    291
  2. D
    dabikun89c
    119
  3. B
    bjpatterson
    108
  4. Avatar image for Jeffwraithes2
    Jeffwraithes2
    107
  5. A
    adambreck
    96

Recent Japan Activity

  • A

    AnaCeleste

    wants to go to Atami Adult Museum

  • Avatar image for stereorobo

    stereorobo

    wants to go to Mandarado Burial Grottoes

  • S

    stefaniegrunertfreizeit

    wants to go to Chikaramochiya

  • O

    oudhollandsekoektrommel

    wants to go to Ekibenya Matsuri

  • W

    wlongson23

    wants to go to Mandarado Burial Grottoes

Stories About Japan

Oarfish sport red spine-like fins on their head and a long dorsal fin running the length of their body, as well as two oar-like pelvic fins, giving them their name.

The Legend of Japan's 'Earthquake Fish'

The serpent-like oarfish has long been considered an omen of natural disaster. Scientists are shaking up that old superstition.
by Roxanne Hoorn
October 3, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Chocaholic

by AO Puzzles
August 21, 2023
Cutting spaghetti squash across its short end results in longer "noodles."

How Spaghetti Squash Squiggled Its Way Onto American Tables

It took a shift in food culture for consumers to embrace the "noodle plant."
by Andrew Coletti
July 27, 2023
A school crossing sign in Fukuoka offers a variation on Tobita-kun.

The 'Darting Children' That Helped Japan Win Its War on Traffic Accidents

How hand-painted signs known as Tobita-kun became beloved local mascots.
by Allan Richarz
July 25, 2023
Fireflies glow along Japan's Hino River some 450 miles west of Tokyo.

How A ‘Firefly Course’ Is Saving Japan’s Favorite Glowing Insect

At the Moriyama City Firefly Forest Museum, nurturing Genji fireflies comes with homework.
by Shoshi Parks
July 25, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: A-maze-ing!

by AO Puzzles
July 24, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Let Gravity Sort It Out

by AO Puzzles
June 26, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: When Tetris Meets the Four-Color Theorem

by AO Puzzles
May 22, 2023

Lists Featuring Japan

Fierce little cat.
Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.
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