All Japan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Japan

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

Updated August 22, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Aomori
  2. Ashibetsu
  3. Beppu
  4. Chichibu
  5. Chigasaki
  6. Fukuoka
  7. Hakone
  8. Hatsukaichi
  9. Higashimurayama
  10. Himeji
  11. Hiraizumi
  12. Hirosaki
  13. Hiroshima
  14. Ichikawa
  15. Ikaruga
  16. Inuyama
  17. Ise
  18. Ishigaki
  19. Itō
  20. Iwakuni
  21. Kagoshima
  22. Kamakura
  23. Karuizawa
  24. Kawasaki
  25. Kawazu
  26. Kesennuma
  27. Kitakyushu
  28. Kobe
  29. Kochi
  30. Kumamoto
  31. Kure
  32. Kyonan
  33. Kyoto
  34. Matsumoto
  35. Minakami
  36. Minoh
  37. Mitaka
  38. Mito
  39. Miyoshi
  40. Morioka
  41. Motobu
  42. Nagasaki
  43. Nagoya
  44. Naha
  45. Naoshima
  46. Nara
  47. Niigata
  48. Nikko
  49. Odate
  50. Odawara
  51. Okinawa
  52. Ōme
  53. Onomichi
  54. Osaka
  55. Otaru
  56. Sado
  57. Sakaiminato
  58. Sapporo
  59. Sasebo
  60. Sendai
  61. Soja
  62. Takasaki
  63. Takayama
  64. Tamura
  65. Tokamachi
  66. Tokorozawa
  67. Tokyo
  68. Tonosho
  69. Tsugaru
  70. Tsuruoka
  71. Utsunomiya
  72. Yamagata
  73. Yamanouchi
  74. Yokohama
  75. Yokosuka
  76. Yoshimi

Unusual Attractions in Japan

See All 811 Things To Do in Japan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Japan

See all 78 Places to Eat in Japan
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History & Culture 138
Architecture 88
Shrines 83
Statues 80
Museums 76
Temples 74
Buddhism 61
Legends 41

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Recent Japan Activity

Stories About Japan

Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.

Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent Film Narrators

Though the golden age of benshi was drowned out by the advent of sound, their art form is far from silenced.
by Pat Cassels
Rice is central to Sado Island’s economy and culture.

How a Near-Extinct Bird Returned to the Rice Fields of Sado Island

The beautiful toki have become the pride of the island.
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The famed Koshihikari rice is sticky and chewy.

White Rice Is Bland? These Japanese Researchers Beg to Differ

Japan's food world is eagerly awaiting an upcoming "flavor dictionary."
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In Nara City, Japan, sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years due to their sacred status in Shintoism.

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

The deer of Nara Park are part of a millennium-old genetic lineage—does that make them more deserving of protection?
by Roxanne Hoorn
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.
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All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Chocaholic

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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."
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