289 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Japan - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Japan

Ghibli Museum

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

Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

Ishinomaki, Japan

Cat Island

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

Sagano Bamboo Forest

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

Yamanouchi, Japan

Jigokudani Monkey Park

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

Fujinomiya-shi, Japan

Aokigahara Forest

A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.

Kabukicho Robot Restaurant

Cabaret where the show girls are all androids, and the patrons couldn't be more pleased.

Fantasy Dining Alice in a Labyrinth

Fine dining in the bizarre world of Lewis Carroll.

See All 289 Things to Do in Japan See All 289 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Japan

Raindrop Cake

The beautiful dessert evaporates in 20 minutes.

Honey Toast Box

Many spoons are needed to demolish one of these ice cream-stuffed bread loaves.

Maple Leaf Tempura

Why not fry a year-old leaf?

Coffee Gelatin

Leftover coffee plus Jello equals this vintage dessert.

See all 57 things to eat in Japan See all 57 things to eat in Japan

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Stories
About Japan

This contemporary yet classic strawberry shortcake from convenience store chain Lawson costs 2,980 to 4,600 yen (US$27-$46), depending on the size.

Every December, Japan Is Awash in Elegant Christmas Cakes

Romance, magazines, and technology made delicate confections a must-have.

December 11, 2019

Miho Imada poses at her brewery in Hiroshima.

The Return of Japan’s Female Sake Brewers

Pushed out of brewing more than a century ago, they're making a comeback.

by Reina Gattuso

December 10, 2019

Kakigori, pictured here on the streets of New York City.

How American Gunboat Diplomacy Helped Democratize Japanese Shaved Ice

One show of force had a cooling effect on Japanese summers.

September 5, 2019

A wolf walking through snow at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido.

How Do You Convince 125 Million People to Embrace Wolves?

It would be good for Japan's forests and farms (less so the deer).

by Allan Richarz

August 26, 2019

Count 'em.

Sold: A Set of 54 Whisky Bottles, One for Every Playing Card

Only four such sets are known to exist.

by Matthew Taub

August 22, 2019

The women's bath at the Makiba-no-ie Ryokan in Yufuin, Ōita Prefecture.

Soak in These Photographs of Japanese Hot Spring Baths

For decades, Mark Edward Harris captured the calm and intimacy of onsens.

August 22, 2019

How does <i>Leocratides kimuraorum</i> do it?

Meet the Noisy, Head-Butting Marine Worms That Live Near Japan

Their "mouth-fighting" produces one of the loudest underwater sounds ever recorded.

by Matthew Taub

Gyotaku, the art that turns fishermen into artists.

How the Traditional Japanese Art of Fish Printing Inspired a Modern Art Form

Gyotaku was once a way to brag about the size of your catch.

by Sabrina Imbler

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