All Japan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Japan

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

Updated October 4, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Aomori
  2. Beppu
  3. Chichibu
  4. Fukuoka
  5. Hakone
  6. Hatsukaichi
  7. Himeji
  8. Hiroshima
  9. Ichihara
  10. Ise
  11. Ishigaki
  12. Iwakuni
  13. Kamakura
  14. Kawasaki
  15. Kawazu
  16. Kesennuma
  17. Kobe
  18. Kumamoto
  19. Kumamoto
  20. Kure
  21. Kyonan
  22. Kyoto
  23. Minakami
  24. Mito
  25. Miyoshi
  26. Motobu
  27. Nagasaki
  28. Naoshima
  29. Nara
  30. Niigata
  31. Nikko
  32. Okinawa
  33. Onomichi
  34. Osaka
  35. Otaru
  36. Sado
  37. Sakaiminato
  38. Sapporo
  39. Sasebo
  40. Takasaki
  41. Takayama
  42. Tamura
  43. Tokyo
  44. Utsunomiya
  45. Yamanouchi
  46. Yokohama
  47. Yokosuka
  48. Yoshimi

Unusual Attractions in Japan

See All 568 Things To Do in Japan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Japan

See all 10 Places to Eat in Japan
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

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.

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Explore Japan

History & Culture 99
Statues 58
Shrines 53
Temples 44
Buddhism 36
Art 32
Sacred Spaces 31
Museums And Collections 30

Japan Leaderboard

Recent Japan Activity

Stories About Japan

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Chocaholic

by AO Puzzles
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
A school crossing sign in Fukuoka offers a variation on Tobita-kun.

The 'Darting Children' That Helped Japan Win Its War on Traffic Accidents

How hand-painted signs known as Tobita-kun became beloved local mascots.
by Allan Richarz
Fireflies glow along Japan's Hino River some 450 miles west of Tokyo.

How A ‘Firefly Course’ Is Saving Japan’s Favorite Glowing Insect

At the Moriyama City Firefly Forest Museum, nurturing Genji fireflies comes with homework.
by Shoshi Parks
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: A-maze-ing!

by AO Puzzles
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Let Gravity Sort It Out

by AO Puzzles
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: When Tetris Meets the Four-Color Theorem

by AO Puzzles
All Illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: A Different Way to Paint by Number

by AO Puzzles

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