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

Unusual
Attractions
in Japan

Cat by the shore

Ishinomaki, Japan

Cat Island

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

38.2955, 141.4179

Added by meredith

Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

33.8313, 130.7927

Added by Arundel

Totoro stares out

Ghibli Museum

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

35.6962, 139.5704

Added by ack sed

Sagano Bamboo Forest

Sagano Bamboo Forest

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

35.0167, 135.6710

Added by EricGrundhauser

Anata No Warehouse

Anata No Warehouse

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

35.5269, 139.6940

Aokigahara Suicide Forest

Narusawa-mura, Japan

Aokigahara Suicide Forest

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

Added by littlebrumble

Monkeys lounging in the hot springs of the park

Yamanouchi, Japan

Jigokudani Monkey Park

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

36.7446, 138.4126

Added by atimian

Only a small part of the restaurant!

Fantasy Dining Alice in a Labyrinth

Fine dining in the bizarre world of Lewis Carroll.

35.6683, 139.7616

Added by Ellecp523

See All 229 Things to Do in Japan See All 229 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
from Japan

Maple Leaf Tempura

Gastro Obscura

Maple Leaf Tempura

Why not fry a year-old leaf?

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Okinawa Black Sugar

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Okinawa Black Sugar

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

Honey Toast Box

Gastro Obscura

Honey Toast Box

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

Buddha's Hand

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Buddha's Hand

Smells like lavender, tastes like lemon rind, looks like a gnarled claw fresh from your nightmares.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

See All 23 Must-Eats in Japan See All 23 Must-Eats

Explore Japan

Japan Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Japan Activity

audreywaner has been to Hachiko

audreywaner has been to Ghibli Museum

audreywaner has been to Hiroshima's Hypocenter

audreywaner has been to Itsukushima Shrine

michelle99704 has been to Sengaku-Ji

Stories
About Japan

"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

A 19th-century woodblock shows a ninja as we often conceive of them today.

The ‘Ninja Diet’ Prioritized Fortitude, Stealth, and Eliminating Body Odor

Understanding what shinobi ate, amid a stew of myths and misconceptions.

by Natasha Frost

A mysterious illness killed princesses and sailors alike.

How Killer Rice Crippled Tokyo and the Japanese Navy

One stubborn doctor pioneered a cure.

February 22, 2018

A sumo wrestler dishes up <em>chanko-nabe</em> during a "Sumo Diet Campaign" event in Osaka, Japan.

The Special Stew at the Heart of Sumo Wrestling

Why one dish defines an entire sport.

by Natasha Frost

February 16, 2018

A view of rice fields from above Ozuchi.

The Man Trying to Save His Village From the Forest

Noboru Nimaida wants to preserve an old way of life.

by Hannah Kirshner

January 31, 2018

<em>Rain Blossoms</em>, printed 1928.

Remembering Lilian Miller, the Pioneering Woodblock Artist Caught Between East and West

The many contradictions of a diplomat's daughter who wanted all her work destroyed.

by Natasha Frost

December 01, 2017

A Fake-Food Maker on the Art of Creating Inedible Meals

For 60 years, this Japanese craftsman has been making silicone dinners that look good enough to eat.

by Ashawnta Jackson

November 21, 2017

A parade of modern komusō reenactors,

The Bamboo Flutes of Japan's 'Monks of Emptiness'

The basket-masked komusō monks used music to meditate and created a distinctive art form.

by Eric Grundhauser

November 03, 2017

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