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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tokyo

164 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Tokyo, Japan

Updated February 1, 2023

Unusual Attractions in Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Ghibli Museum

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

Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

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

Tokyo, Japan

The Giant Ghibli Clock

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.

Tokyo, Japan

Sanrio Puroland

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.

Tokyo, Japan

Giant GUNDAM Robot

A 20-meter (65-foot) robot towers over Tokyo Bay.

Tokyo, Japan

Pigment

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

Tokyo, Japan

Gotokuji Temple

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

He's not quite the menace he once was, but he still has some chops.

See All 164 Things To Do in Tokyo

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

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

Tokyo, Japan

Omoide Yokocho

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

Tokyo, Japan

Zauo

The freshest fish here are the ones you catch yourself.

Tokyo, Japan

Ninja Akasaka

A restaurant modeled after feudal Japan, where the waitstaff are trained as ninjas.

See all 10 Places to Eat in Tokyo

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Plan Your Trip

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Guided Tours of Tokyo

Atlas Obscura Trips

Artisans & Exiles: Exploring the Hidden Traditions of Japan’s Sado Island

Exploration through a history of exile, gold rush, and thriving cultural traditions.

Explore Tokyo, Japan

History & Culture 23

Unique Restaurants & Bars 15

Places To Stay 3

Tokyo Leaderboard

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Recent Tokyo Activity

A

andybrass

has been to Jinnai Shrine
I

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wants to go to Vampire Café
J

joonasvv1

has been to Kölner Aussicht
R

royslack

wants to go to Godzilla Head
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wants to go to Intermediatheque

Stories About Tokyo

Podcast: Nakagin Capsule Tower

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

Podcast: Hachiko

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

December 28, 2021

118 Years Later, Japan's Earliest Sound Recordings Still Resonate

Sessions in a Tokyo hotel room with a sound engineering pioneer captured a nation in transition.

In Japan, Combating the Coronavirus Calls for a Big Pink Cat

Meet Koronon—cute, cuddly, and a big fan of masks.

Podcast: Hachiko

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

The Only Ainu Restaurant in Tokyo

Harukor serves foods from Japan's northernmost island that colonialism nearly eradicated.

December 9, 2020

The Pandemic Hasn't Dulled Japan's Special Love for Queen

Fans are finding new ways to celebrate the band during the 45th anniversary of their first arrival there.

by Allan Richarz

This Latte Artist Forms Foam Into Flocks of Birds

Put a bird on it!

by Selena Takigawa Hoy

September 11, 2019

Lists Featuring Tokyo

Alcatraz ER

The "sweets-go-round" looking into the Milk Stand.

12 Tokyo Concept Cafés That Go Way Beyond Cats and Maids

Think monsters and fembots instead.

Including Kabukicho Robot Restaurant, Alcatraz ER, and Vowz

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