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All Japan Tokyo

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tokyo

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

Updated May 29, 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.

Tokyo, Japan

Giant GUNDAM Robot

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

Tokyo, Japan

Pigment

Every color in the rainbow awaits.
See All 186 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.
A ninja waitress

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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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 Tokyo, Japan

History & Culture 31
Statues 21
Unique Restaurants & Bars 15
Shops 15
Art 15
Shrines 15
Restaurants 12
Temples 11
Legends 9
Sculptures 9
Buddhism 9
Bars 8
Places To Stay 3

Tokyo Leaderboard

Places Added

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    Fred Cherrygarden
    48
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  4. Avatar image for KoinuSensei
    KoinuSensei
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  5. Avatar image for Molly McBride Jacobson
    Molly McBride Jacobson
    4

Places Edited

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    Fred Cherrygarden
    126
  2. Avatar image for Hermit09
    Hermit09
    27
  3. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    12
  4. Avatar image for Molly McBride Jacobson
    Molly McBride Jacobson
    11
  5. Avatar image for AFJAGExplores
    AFJAGExplores
    8

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for Fred Cherrygarden
    Fred Cherrygarden
    143
  2. Avatar image for Dark Nebula Deluxe
    Dark Nebula Deluxe
    58
  3. Avatar image for elizabethlquon
    elizabethlquon
    45
  4. Avatar image for Hermit09
    Hermit09
    45
  5. Avatar image for henrikeinestam
    henrikeinestam
    45
Join the Ranks!
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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.
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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