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All Japan Tokyo

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tokyo

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

Updated May 21, 2025

Visit a vampire cafe, use a transparent restroom, and tap on a stone god for good luck in Japan’s capital city. We’ve rounded up the hidden treasures of Tokyo to fill your stay, whether you’re there for a week or a day.

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Unusual Attractions in Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.
The clock is at the Nippon TV tower in Shiodome, Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

The Giant Ghibli Clock

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

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.”
Sanrio Puroland

Tokyo, Japan

Sanrio Puroland

If Hello Kitty were Mickey Mouse, this would be Disneyland.
Lucky cat figures at Gotokuji Temple

Tokyo, Japan

Gotokuji Temple

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.
Godzilla in Shinjuku, taken March 2020.

Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.
Sengaku-Ji

Tokyo, Japan

Sengaku-Ji

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

Tokyo, Japan

Giant Unicorn GUNDAM Robot

A 20-meter (65-foot) robot towers over Tokyo Bay.
See All 222 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

8bit Cafe

Transport yourself to the 1980s era of video games at this themed restaurant and bar.

Tokyo, Japan

Harukor

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant serves Indigenous food from northern Japan.
See all 32 Places to Eat in Tokyo
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Explore Tokyo, Japan

History & Culture 44
Statues 27
Shrines 25
Architecture 21
Temples 20
Museums 19
Unique Restaurants & Bars 16
Shops 15
Art 15
Restaurants 13
Buddhism 13
Legends 12
Places To Stay 3

Tokyo Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Fred Cherrygarden
    130
  2. Hermit09
    9
  3. ilbonito
    7
  4. KoinuSensei
    4
  5. 2banne
    4

Places Edited

  1. Fred Cherrygarden
    178
  2. Hermit09
    27
  3. Collector of Experiences
    17
  4. linkogecko
    13
  5. Pierfrancesco
    13

Places Visited

  1. Fred Cherrygarden
    196
  2. elizabethdquon
    118
  3. Kan Cho
    106
  4. Jeffwraithes2
    71
  5. eamagea123
    68

Recent Tokyo Activity

  • dabruman

    has been to Ad Museum Tokyo

  • dabruman

    wants to go to Shiotama

  • dabruman

    wants to go to Public Utility Conduits of Ginza

  • travisbbrick

    has been to Hideyo Noguchi Statue

  • japanplaster277

    wants to go to The Lions of Namiyoke Inari Shrine

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
June 8, 2022

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
Musicians perform sankyoku, traditional Japanese chamber music, in an undated photograph.

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.
by Anton Spice
May 10, 2021
Koronon hands out face masks to encourage people to stay vigilant about COVID-19.

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

Meet Koronon—cute, cuddly, and a big fan of masks.
by Bailey Berg
May 7, 2021

Podcast: Hachiko

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
April 22, 2021
Teruyo Usa, owner and founder of Harukor, wearing Ainu robes.

The Only Ainu Restaurant in Tokyo

Harukor serves foods from Japan's northernmost island that colonialism nearly eradicated.
by Mara Budgen
December 9, 2020
The entrance to the multimedia Queen in the Park art installation at Ginza Sony Park, in February 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
April 23, 2020
Finishing before the coffee cools calls for composure.

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.

12

Including Kabukicho Robot Restaurant, Alcatraz ER, and Vowz

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