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

Unusual
Attractions
in Japan

Ishinomaki, Japan

Cat Island

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

Added by meredith

Ghibli Museum

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

Added by ack sed

Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

Added by Arundel

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been voted to be a governmentally recognized sound.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Kawasaki, Japan

Anata No Warehouse

This faux-seedy Japanese arcade is made up to look like a maze of alleys straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia.

Dylan

Yamanouchi, Japan

Jigokudani Monkey Park

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

atimian

Added by atimian

Fujinomiya-shi, Japan

Aokigahara Suicide Forest

Resting in Mount Fuji's shadow, the world's second most popular suicide location.

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

Fantasy Dining Alice in a Labyrinth

Fine dining in the bizarre world of Lewis Carroll.

Added by Ellecp523

See All 259 Things to Do in Japan See All 259 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Japan

Raindrop Cake

Gastro Obscura

Raindrop Cake

The beautiful dessert evaporates in 20 minutes.

Gastro Obscura

Added by trevorxtravesty

Maple Leaf Tempura

Gastro Obscura

Maple Leaf Tempura

Why not fry a year-old leaf?

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Honey Toast Box

Gastro Obscura

Honey Toast Box

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

Gastro Obscura

Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

Sea Grapes

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Sea Grapes

This "green caviar" is vegetarian friendly.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

See all 56 things to eat in Japan See all 56 things to eat in Japan

Explore Japan

Launch Map

Recent Japan Activity

starla wants to go to Hikiyama Float Exhibition Hall

starla wants to go to Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science

starla wants to go to The Puchicalator

starla wants to go to Lucky Dragon and Atomic Tuna Memorial

starla wants to go to Kyoto Botanical Garden

Stories
About Japan

Rebuilding and reconsecrating shrines may involve several rituals over many years.

The Haunting Beauty of the Reconsecration of Shinto Shrines

Photographer Yukihito Masuura spent more than a decade documenting rituals that connect past and present.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

The Beloved Japanese Novelist Who Became a Queer Manga Icon

Nobuko Yoshiya’s stories of frustrated, forbidden love helped establish a genre read by millions.

by Sabrina Imbler

For centuries, Japanese people considered eating beef especially taboo.

Why Eating Meat Was Banned in Japan for Centuries

The reasons were both religious and practical.

by Kristi Allen

Fresh wasabi, nature's own fire ant fighter.

Scientists Are Fighting Fire (Ants) With Wasabi

What’s good for the sushi is not good for the Solenopsis invicta.

by Rohini Chaki

The delicate art of coloring a manhole cover in Otawara, Japan.

On the Hunt for Japan's Elaborate, Colorful Manhole Covers

Dedicated enthusiasts travel the country and scour the ground to see them.

by Allan Richarz

A copy of the print paper, <em>Hikikomori Shimbun</em>.

Japan's Most Interesting Newspaper Is for Recluses, by Recluses

Fed up with sensationalized portrayals, the country's hikikomori are reclaiming their narrative.

by Rohini Chaki

February 12, 2019

Bright flowers in bloom.

The Art of Protecting Japan's 'Perfect Orchid'

Once a favorite of the ruling class, this flower is now endangered.

by Evan Nicole Brown

December 11, 2018

Tatsuya Ezura's eggplant Cessna.

The Cucumber Horses and Eggplant Cows That Welcome Back the Dead

During the Japanese summer festival Obon, ancestral spirits come home.

by Ellen Freeman

October 26, 2018

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