The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tokyo

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

Updated March 23, 2023

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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

Gotokuji Temple

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

Tokyo, Japan

Pigment

Every color in the rainbow awaits.

Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

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

See All 168 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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Explore Tokyo, Japan

History & Culture 24

Statues 19

Unique Restaurants & Bars 15

Shops 15

Art 14

Shrines 13

Restaurants 12

Temples 10

Sculptures 9

Buddhism 8

Bars 8

Animals 7

Places To Stay 3

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Recent Tokyo Activity

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Stories About Tokyo

Podcast: Nakagin Capsule Tower

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

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Podcast: Hachiko

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

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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.

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The Only Ainu Restaurant in Tokyo

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

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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.

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This Latte Artist Forms Foam Into Flocks of Birds

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Lists Featuring Tokyo

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

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