The Atlas Obscura Guide To Japan

824 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Japan

Updated November 30, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Japan

Totoro stares out

Mitaka, Japan

Ghibli Museum

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

Sagano Bamboo Forest

Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

Fierce little cat.

Ishinomaki, Japan

Cat Island

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

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

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.

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.

See All 824 Things To Do in Japan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Japan

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.”

Sashimi on a stick.

Kyoto, Japan

Nishiki Market

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

Painstaking, life-size recreation of a 1958 ramen boom town.

Yokohama, Japan

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.

See all 81 Places to Eat in Japan

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Explore Japan

History & Culture 138

Architecture 88

Shrines 84

Statues 80

Museums 77

Temples 75

Buddhism 62

Legends 41

History 37

Art 36

Architectural Oddities 35

Sacred Spaces 32

Monuments 31

Plants 30

Sculptures 29

Water 27

Folklore 27

Animals 27

Unique Restaurants & Bars 26

Collections 25

Places To Stay 11

Japan Leaderboard

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Recent Japan Activity

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has been to Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
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Stories About Japan

Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.

Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent Film Narrators

Though the golden age of benshi was drowned out by the advent of sound, their art form is far from silenced.

Rice is central to Sado Island’s economy and culture.

How a Near-Extinct Bird Returned to the Rice Fields of Sado Island

The beautiful toki have become the pride of the island.

by Elena Valeriote

January 8, 2025

The famed Koshihikari rice is sticky and chewy.

White Rice Is Bland? These Japanese Researchers Beg to Differ

Japan's food world is eagerly awaiting an upcoming "flavor dictionary."

In Nara City, Japan, sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years due to their sacred status in Shintoism.

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

The deer of Nara Park are part of a millennium-old genetic lineage—does that make them more deserving of protection?

by Roxanne Hoorn

Sado Island, Japan.

Share Your Dream Destination and Win a Japan Adventure! (Submissions Closed)

Tell us an amazing place to travel next year, and you could win a remarkable Atlas Obscura experience.

Sponsored By Atlas Obscura Trips

Oarfish sport red spine-like fins on their head and a long dorsal fin running the length of their body, as well as two oar-like pelvic fins, giving them their name.

The Legend of Japan's 'Earthquake Fish'

The serpent-like oarfish has long been considered an omen of natural disaster. Scientists are shaking up that old superstition.

by Roxanne Hoorn

October 3, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Chocaholic

August 21, 2023

Cutting spaghetti squash across its short end results in longer “noodles.”

How Spaghetti Squash Squiggled Its Way Onto American Tables

It took a shift in food culture for consumers to embrace the "noodle plant."

by Andrew Coletti

Lists Featuring Japan

Fierce little cat.

Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.

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