The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tokyo

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

Updated October 4, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Tokyo

Totoro stares out

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.

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.

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.

The scourge of Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Godzilla Head

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

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

Giant GUNDAM Robot

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

See All 174 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.”

A ninja waitress

Tokyo, Japan

Ninja Akasaka

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

Tokyo, Japan

8bit Cafe

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

See all 10 Places to Eat in Tokyo

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Explore Tokyo, Japan

History & Culture 37

Statues 22

Shrines 18

Unique Restaurants & Bars 15

Art 15

Shops 15

Restaurants 12

Temples 11

Legends 10

Buddhism 9

Sculptures 9

Bars 8

Places To Stay 3

Tokyo Leaderboard

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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.

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

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.

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.

Podcast: Hachiko

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

by The Podcast Team

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.

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

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.

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Think monsters and fembots instead.

Including Kabukicho Robot Restaurant, Alcatraz ER, and Vowz

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