Tokyo is globally recognized for its incredible cuisine, avant-garde fashion and variety of neighborhoods to explore. But let’s be honest — a lot of visitors in the city also want to take part in its more niche subcultures and straight-up baffling experiences. From specialized “rental” services and bizarre foods and themed cafes, Tokyo is packed with activities that cater to very particular interests. Without further ado, here are just a few weird and unique things to do while you’re in Tokyo.
Located near Shiba Park, Kipposhi serves a signature “Clear Chicken Soup Sapphire” ramen. The broth is a startling, vibrant blue — achieved through a natural pigment — but despite the sci-fi look, it’s a legitimate, savory chicken ginger broth. Make sure to bring cash!
Takoyaki “Russian Roulette” Challenge
At izakaya or bar chains like Regalo and Kushidaore, you can turn dinner into a sport. They offer “Russian Roulette” takoyaki (octopus-filled savory batter balls, best known as an iconic street food of Osaka) where one ball is loaded with wasabi or tabasco.
All-You-Can-Eat Egg Buffet
Kisaburo Farm is a cozy restaurant dedicated to tamago kake gohan (a comfort dish of raw egg mixed into hot rice). For a flat fee, you can sample unlimited premium eggs from across Japan, each with distinct flavor profiles based on the hens’ diets.
Natto Buffet
At a shop called Sendaiya in the Ikejiri-Ohashi neighborhood, you can eat natto (fermented soybeans known for their sticky, stringy texture and many health benefits… and also their polarizing flavor) to your heart’s content. They offer an all-you-can-eat natto buffet, including various bean sizes and even natto-infused donuts.
Weird Museums in Tokyo
The Unko Museum (Poop Museum)
This Odaiba attraction is exactly what it sounds like — a museum dedicated entirely to poop, but made kawaii. It features pastel-colored toilets, poop-themed arcade games and unko art installations. The museum is a fun place to explore with your kids, especially on a rainy day.
Meguro Parasitological Museum
For the scientifically inclined, the Meguro Parasitological Museum is a world-renowned research facility that houses thousands of preserved specimens, including parasitic insects. The highlight is an 8.8 meter-long tapeworm displayed alongside the string used to measure it. It’s a strangely fascinating detour.
Themed Love Hotels
These hotels were obviously designed for a specific purpose, but many of them are also worth visiting just for the kitsch visuals, captured by photographers like François Prost, Emily Kinni and Kyoichi Tsuzuki. From rooms styled like a vintage train carriage to a gothic dungeon, there is an endless variety of aesthetics to explore. Read our round-up of themed love hotels across Japan here. (We also have an article specifically focused on Christmas-themed love hotels, if you’re in a holiday spirit.)
Weird Services in Tokyo
Rent a Boyfriend or Girlfriend
Companion rental services in Japan have long been a topic of fascination for people around the world, and was recently made the focus of the director Hikari’s film Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser. Renting a boyfriend falls under this category; you can hire a stranger who will accompany you to dinner, stroll in a park with you or simply listen to your problems. TimeOut has a round-up of English-friendly romance rental agencies.
Professional Ear Cleaning
At salons like Yamamoto Mimikaki-ten, you can literally pay for someone to professionally clean your ears. You rest your head on a staff member’s lap while they use traditional bamboo picks to probe into your ears, a service called mimikaki that is rooted in a sense of childhood comfort.
Butler Cafe in Ikebukuro
While maid cafes are ubiquitous in Akihabara, Ikebukuro’s “Otome Road” (a district focused on anime for women) is home to Swallowtail Butler Cafe. Here, the waiters — suited up like anime butlers — treat you as the master or mistress of a private estate, complete with elaborate tea rituals. (Note that photography is not permitted inside.)
Drink with Monks
This is the perfect experience to recount in “two truths and a lie” rounds for the rest of your life. Vowz Bar in Shinjuku is owned and operated by ordained Buddhist monks. Here, you can order cocktails with names like “Burning Hell,” listen to short sermons and even consult the monks for life advice in a relaxed atmosphere filled with incense smoke.
