All Japan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Japan

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

Updated June 18, 2025

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Cities

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  1. Aomori
  2. Beppu
  3. Chichibu
  4. Fukuoka
  5. Hakone
  6. Hatsukaichi
  7. Higashimurayama
  8. Himeji
  9. Hirosaki
  10. Hiroshima
  11. Ichihara
  12. Ichikawa
  13. Ise
  14. Ishigaki
  15. Iwakuni
  16. Kagoshima
  17. Kamakura
  18. Karuizawa
  19. Kawasaki
  20. Kawazu
  21. Kesennuma
  22. Kitakyushu
  23. Kobe
  24. Kochi
  25. Kumamoto
  26. Kure
  27. Kyonan
  28. Kyoto
  29. Matsumoto
  30. Minakami
  31. Mitaka
  32. Mito
  33. Miyoshi
  34. Morioka
  35. Motobu
  36. Nagasaki
  37. Naha
  38. Naoshima
  39. Nara
  40. Niigata
  41. Nikko
  42. Odate
  43. Okinawa
  44. Ōme
  45. Onomichi
  46. Osaka
  47. Otaru
  48. Sado
  49. Sakaiminato
  50. Sapporo
  51. Sasebo
  52. Sendai
  53. Soja
  54. Takasaki
  55. Takayama
  56. Tamura
  57. Tokamachi
  58. Tokorozawa
  59. Tokyo
  60. Tonosho
  61. Utsunomiya
  62. Yamagata
  63. Yamanouchi
  64. Yokohama
  65. Yokosuka
  66. Yoshimi

Unusual Attractions in Japan

See All 800 Things To Do in Japan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Japan

See all 76 Places to Eat in Japan
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History & Culture 137
Architecture 87
Shrines 80
Statues 79
Museums 74
Temples 73
Buddhism 61
Legends 41

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Stories About Japan

Rice is central to Sado Island’s economy and culture.

How a Near-Extinct Bird Returned to the Rice Fields of Sado Island

The beautiful toki have become the pride of the island.
by Elena Valeriote
The famed Koshihikari rice is sticky and chewy.

White Rice Is Bland? These Japanese Researchers Beg to Differ

Japan's food world is eagerly awaiting an upcoming "flavor dictionary."
by Kenji Hall
In Nara City, Japan, sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years due to their sacred status in Shintoism.

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

The deer of Nara Park are part of a millennium-old genetic lineage—does that make them more deserving of protection?
by Roxanne Hoorn
Sado Island, Japan.

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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
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Chocaholic

by AO Puzzles
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
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

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