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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Japan

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

Updated February 5, 2024

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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. Kitakyushu
  18. Kobe
  19. Kumamoto
  20. Kumamoto
  21. Kure
  22. Kyonan
  23. Kyoto
  24. Matsumoto
  25. Minakami
  26. Mito
  27. Miyoshi
  28. Motobu
  29. Nagasaki
  30. Naoshima
  31. Nara
  32. Niigata
  33. Nikko
  34. Okinawa
  35. Ōme
  36. Onomichi
  37. Osaka
  38. Otaru
  39. Sado
  40. Sakaiminato
  41. Sapporo
  42. Sasebo
  43. Takasaki
  44. Takayama
  45. Tamura
  46. Tokyo
  47. Utsunomiya
  48. Yamanouchi
  49. Yokohama
  50. Yokosuka
  51. Yoshimi

Unusual Attractions in Japan

See All 609 Things To Do in Japan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Japan

See all 10 Places to Eat in Japan
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Artisans & Exiles: Exploring the Hidden Traditions of Japan’s Sado Island

Exploration through a history of exile, gold rush, and thriving cultural traditions.

Learn More

Explore Japan

History & Culture 115
Statues 61
Shrines 55
Temples 50
Buddhism 42
Art 32
Sacred Spaces 31
Architectural Oddities 30

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Stories About Japan

Sado Island, Japan.

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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
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

Lists Featuring Japan

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