385 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.

Sagano Bamboo Forest

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

Ishinomaki, Japan

Cat Island

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

Yamanouchi, Japan

Jigokudani Monkey Park

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

Vampire Café

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.

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.

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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.

Coffee Gelatin

Leftover coffee plus Jello equals this vintage dessert.

Wagashi

These Japanese sweets demonstrate the ephemeral beauty of the seasons.

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

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Top Discussions in the Japan Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Crepe Vending Machine	4 September 26, 2019	2283	September 26, 2019
Traditional fishing village wood buidling	0 June 28, 2019	780	June 28, 2019
Ashizuri Underwater Observation Tower	3 July 16, 2019	2044	July 16, 2019
Chicken Sashimi	5 December 28, 2019	712	December 28, 2019
Seikan Tunnel	3 October 26, 2019	1151	October 26, 2019

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Stories About Japan

Narezushi is made of fish and rice, but that's where the similarity with modern sushi ends.

To Make Japan's Original Sushi, First Age Fish for Several Months

by Clarissa Wei

January 4, 2021

Overhead view of kissa Bugen’s well-designed and engineered pizza toast.

The Man Who Walked Across Japan for Pizza Toast

A new book chronicles the country's disappearing kissaten.

by Lauren Moya Ford

December 3, 2020

This room in a love hotel incorporates an underwater scene. Others have themes including the White House, doctor's offices, and railway cars.

Japanese 'Love Hotels' Are Kind of Perfect for Pandemics

They're discreet to the point of secrecy—which also makes them socially distant.

by Charlotte England

November 12, 2020

Tales of the onryō go back more than a century.

Japan's Onryō Spirits Inhabit a Purgatory of Revenge and Cosmic Rage

Their supernatural historical tales reflect perceived wrongs, royal machinations, and intense jealousies.

by Dan O'Sullivan

October 27, 2020

"Cats and Hibiscus" shows a standoff between two cats next to a thicket of the flowering plant (fuyō).

A Great Wave of Hokusai Drawings Resurfaced at the British Museum

“This is definitely one of the greatest discoveries of Hokusai works in a long time."

September 17, 2020

Soft cream made with squid ink from Hakodate, Japan.

Japan Is Combating Rural Decline With a National Network of Ice Cream

Flavors include apple, blue honeysuckle, and black squid ink.

by Michael Colbert

September 10, 2020

The former samurai who bred Japan's first apple, the "Indo" variety pictured here, named it after the state of Indiana.

How Former Samurai and Farmers Cultivated the First Japanese Apples

Famous fruits, including the Fuji apple, were the result of decades of effort.

by Emily Warren

August 14, 2020

Rice cookers are an elegant solution to a tricky task.

The Battle to Invent the Automatic Rice Cooker

The biggest names in Japanese technology vied to bring them to market.

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