247 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

Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

Added by Arundel

Ghibli Museum

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

Added by ack sed

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

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Unique
Food & Drink
in Japan

Raindrop Cake

Gastro Obscura

Raindrop Cake

The beautiful dessert evaporates in 20 minutes.

Gastro Obscura

Added by trevorxtravesty

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

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Gastro Obscura

Ritual & Medicinal

Japanese Tea Ceremony

A ritual that showcases the beauty of the present moment.

Gastro Obscura

samanthachong

Added by samanthachong

Okinawa Black Sugar

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Okinawa Black Sugar

It's darker, saltier, and healthier than white sugar.

Gastro Obscura

Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

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sammfridell wants to go to Wisteria Tunnel

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Stories
About Japan

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

Portuguese traders on a ship, taking tea.

Inside a 17th-Century 'Barbarian' Cookbook From Japan

It included Portuguese and Japanese recipes for caramel, cake, and an early tempura.

September 11, 2018

A red peach-shaped <em>wagashi</em> dominates this page.

The Fabulous Design Manuals for Japan's 19th-Century Sweets

Wagashi range from elegant to surprisingly modern.

August 28, 2018

Marimo balls in an aquarium.

An Adorable Algae Ball Mystery Has Been Solved

Sometimes marimo float, and sometimes they sink. But why?

August 22, 2018

This photo, taken by Yasaka Marico, shows the scale of Tatsumi's collection.

The Man With 15,000 Pieces of Chopstick-Wrapper Origami

A restaurant job turned into a collecting passion.

Tilted trees on Nozaki Island, Japan.

An Island's Spiritual History, Documented in Haunting Photographs

Walking the trails to prayer on Japan’s Nozaki Island, once home to persecuted Christians.

by Anika Burgess

"A wicked foreigner refuses to pay a young prostitute," 1875.

The Refined, Scandalous Art of Japan's Traditional Woodblock Tabloids

Shinbun nishiki-e were the country's answer to penny dreadfuls.

by Natasha Frost