Here are a few of the coolest things you can experience in Japan!
10 - Robot restaurant Japan has a lot of strange attractions to
offer, and the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo is no exception.
Probably one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tokyo, the Robot Restaurant is located
in the Shinjuku nightlife district, and it definitely hosts one of the more interesting
shows on Earth.
A $73 ticket gets you dinosaurs, laser lights, a cabaret, and, as the name might suggest,
robots.
Lots and lots of robots.
Once you go down the technicolor stairwell into the Robot Restaurant, it's almost like
stepping into a futuristic alternate reality...and it only gets wackier with each step.
For example, you’ll hear blaring pop music, see warrior princesses fight 10-foot-tall
transformer robots, and see laser beams bouncing off sequined bikinis.
The robot show might sound and look like total chaos, but the high-voltage performance is
actually a carefully crafted routine that requires weeks of preparation.
In fact, every performer is part of a professional dance group who have perfected the complicated
routine.
They master everything from dancing to drumming, and pole dancing to...umm… robot riding?!
9 - Yunessun spa resort Many countries are known for their traditional
bathhouses and hot springs.
But the Yunessun Spa Resort in Japan has taken the plunge to offer an incredibly unique bathing
experience.
Set at the foot of lush green mountains, the spa, or really, we call it a theme park in
Japan’s Hakone prefecture, offers all your typical spa amenities, but with a twist.
In addition to the Ancient Roman Bath and the massive God’s Aegean Sea, the Yunessun
Spa Resort sets itself apart with its drink-themed attractions.
Have you ever wanted to bathe in a literal pool of tea?
You can here with The Green Tea Spa.
The resort also features a Red Wine Spa, a Japanese Sake Spa, a Coffee Spa, and for all
the Ramen lovers out there, a pepper-water filled Ramen Noodle Spa!
More than just scented and colored water, these pools are filled with the actual drinks!
The coffee is brewed in pots and poured into the pool by the barrel.
The sake and wine baths could even get someone drunk, though obviously drinking any of these
waters isn’t allowed.
Each themed bath also features over-sized drink containers associated with it.
For example, the wine bath comes from a giant wine bottle, and massive fake noodles hang
over the ramen pool!
8 - Square watermelons When someone mentions a watermelon, you usually
picture a round one, right?
Well in Japan, square watermelons are common, and they’re usually very expensive!
And it’s not just in Japan, it’s other places too.
Back in 2013, people shopping at fancy supermarkets in Russia were cashing out $700 to over $800
for a single watermelon!
However, the square watermelons began in Japan out of necessity.
They’re more than just a novelty.
A giant round watermelon is hard to store and awkward to cut.
But square watermelons can be tucked away much more easily in the small refrigerators
in Japan.
If you’re thinking that square watermelons are genetically modified, think again!
The magic happens by way of a rather simple method: Melons are trained into square submission
by being placed in boxes while they grow to maturity.
Pretty easy right?
7 - Real Life Mario Kart Unless you live under a rock, you probably
know the Mario franchise.
Whether you played Mario Kart on the N64 or the Wii, trying it in real life is something
you can do in Japan!
Using custom-built go-karts, MariCAR is the hot ticket in the real-life Mario Kart craze
in Tokyo.
They’re a local company offering you the opportunity to drive through the city, just
like you would in the Mario Kart games!
All you need is one of the approved driving licenses, and you’re ready to race.
Before scorching the tarmac, you stash your belongings in a locker and change into a costume,
which is included in the price.
With a wide variety of courses to choose from, you can drive pretty much anywhere in the
city that you’d like!
Most karts are fitted with GPS and communication bands, and you’ll be following a guide at
all times, so you won’t need to worry about taking a wrong turn.
MariCAR rentals also typically include a face-guard mask, a pair of shades and a helmet, plus
your favorite costume.
If you’re feeling really fancy, you can even rent LED shoes, a Bluetooth speaker or
a 4k action camera.
And oh yeah.
There are also fake mustaches involved!
6 - Aquarium Phone Booths
Remember telephone booths?
You know, the ones people used to make calls back in the day?
Obviously they’re pretty much a thing of the past.
But across Osaka, old phone booths have been brought back to life and turned into aquariums
with live goldfish!
That’s ONE way to put obsolete things back to use!
These aquarium phone booths started mysteriously popping up all over Osaka.
Then it was revealed that an art group called Kingyobu, or ‘Goldfish Club,’ was responsible
for this unique project!
Ever since the 17th century, goldfish have become a national symbol in Japan.
In Japanese culture, the goldfish is often seen as a symbol of good luck, happiness,
and prosperity.
In addition to the good fortune brought by seeing all these goldfish around, the aquariums
have served as a nostalgic art piece.
Apparently many people were reminded of goldfish scooping, a very popular game Japanese people
played growing up!
The game is played exactly the way it sounds, by scooping goldfish from a pool with a paper
scoop called a "poi" and then putting them into a bowl.
Since the poi can tear easily, it’s quite a challenge to be able to scoop out more than
a few fish!
5 - Don Quijote 'Don Quijote' is a famous chain store that’s
also known simply as 'Donki' in Japan.
The chain opened in 1989 in Japan and is known for being a one-stop convenience discount
store that essentially has everything and everything you’d need.
The Donki stores are open until practically the break of dawn, with some stores even remaining
open 24 hours.
Donki stores carry anything you could possibly think of — from food to alcohol to Gucci
purses and so much more.
It’s also a hotspot for tourists because they sell a lot of interesting souvenirs!
All of the store’s products are packed from floor to ceiling in a distinct merchandising
strategy.
The chain currently owns 350 stores in total, with sales revenue of up to $10 billion in
Japan.
Only four stores out of the 350 total are located outside of Japan, with three in Hawaii
and one in Singapore.
If you’re ever in Japan, it’s definitely a place to experience!
4 - Harajuku If you’re into crazy fashion, then Harajuku
is the place for you.
Harajuku is the home of Japan’s wildest fashion trends.
Many people dedicate their entire wardrobes to the unique styles of the area’s subcultures.
Harajuku really becomes magical on Sundays.
People walk around in 18th century-style French dresses, “visual kei” punk-rock glam,
and some people even cosplay their favorite anime characters or dance to 1950s American
rock music.
Really, anything goes, as long as it’s cool.
The Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku might give the Robot Restaurant a run for its money.
With stunning surroundings, bizarre food and entrancing performances, you can take a step
into the mouth of the Chopstick Monster and enter the psychedelic reality that’s the
stomach of Harajuku.
Staff members encourage you to explore the four different “zones” between drinks.
Although the place isn’t huge, each zone is so trippy, it feels like you could easily
get lost.
The cafe stays true to the Harajuku vibe with crazy color and flavor combinations that reflect
the general madness of Harajuku.
Chocolate chicken and rainbow painter spaghetti are just a few of these menu items.
Wherever you find yourself in Harajuku, it’ll essentially be a new experience!
3 - Ghibli Museum
The Ghibli Museum showcases the work of the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli.
Located in the Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a western city of Tokyo, the museum combines
features of all different types of museums, and is completely dedicated to the complex
art and technique of animation.
Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki designed the museum himself.
The design was influenced by European architecture such as the hilltop village of Calcata in
Italy.
Walk inside and you’ll step into a different world filled with iron spiral staircases,
inner bridges, and balconies stretching throughout the building's height.
Miyazaki's aim was to make the building itself part of the exhibit.
The museum’s slogan is let’s get lost together, encouraging you to unplug and experience
this alternate reality to the fullest.
Because of this, you’re not allowed to take pictures or record inside the museum — Miyazaki
truly wants you to experience the museum by seeing it for yourself!
The Ghibli clock is another masterpiece by Miyazaki.
It’s a huge clock that offers performances several times per day.
The clock is made out of over 20 tons of copper and steel.
It’s three stories high and 60 feet wide!
Besides chiming out the time, there are over 30 mechanical vignettes at certain hours,
including cannons, a couple of blacksmiths, a wheel spinner, and a boiling teapot.
All of that makes this masterpiece one giant cuckoo clock, and honestly, we expect nothing
less from such a renowned animation studio!
2 - Pod hotels
If you find yourself in Japan looking for a cheap and unique place to stay, then a pod
hotel just might be for you!
Pod hotels, sometimes known as capsule hotels, began in Osaka.
Basically, guests cozy up in a tiny guest room made out of a modular plastic or fiberglass
block, measuring about six and a half feet long, three feet high and 4 feet wide.
The pods are stacked side-by-side in one big open area, two units high, with steps leading
to the second level “rooms”, if you wanna call it that.
Looking for a little privacy?
Just close the end of the capsule!
The going rate for pod hotels is a steal for Japan at only $30 to $50 a night, depending
on the hotel.
Despite their small size, most pods include a TV, an electronic console, and wireless
internet connection.
One thing to keep in mind though, the walls are pretty thin, so being a courteous pod
neighbor is a requirement.
Japanese pod hotels actually have not had the greatest of reputations around the world.
Often located in nightlife hubs, the coffin-sized sleep spaces are notoriously frequented by
drunken Japanese people who missed the last train home.
But now, a new kind of stylish pod hotel is popping up all over Japan.
Combining essential functionality with style, they attract everyone from local business
people to foreign hipsters looking for an adventure.
Luxurious pod hotels aim to create the feeling of flying first class...on the ground of course!
1 - Nagashi somen
Hot summer days call for water sports, and while most countries might think of water
polo or swimming, Japanese families cool down with an aquatic game called nagashi somen.
The name translates to "flowing noodles," and involves being very skillful with somen,
the thin wheat noodles traditionally eaten ice-cold.
In this case, being “very skillful” means that you need to catch the somen as it flows
past you on the water slide made of bamboo using chopsticks.
Seriously.
To make the water slide, families split bamboo reeds in half and prop them up like slides
in their backyards.
A hose is placed at one end of the slide and handfuls of somen are dropped into the water.
Then someone yells "Ikuyo!" as the noodles shoot forward while everyone attempts to catch
their dinner with chopsticks.
If you’re skilled enough to fill a bowl with noodles, you’re rewarded with some
additional yummy ingredients, such as fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, ginger, and
shrimp, all topped with a tsuyu, a condiment made of shoyu and dashi.
Consider yourself lucky if you’re invited to play this game by a Japanese family!
Here’s what’s next!