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    When we write about our travels in Japan, we focus on those little-known spots—that cafe down a sidestreet, hiding between a watch-repair shop and a place that does tombstone engraving. Have you ever been to a greenhouse filled with salvaged mannequins? We have. Other travel guides cover the "must-see" destinations, and that's fine. But when you're done with those, check out our travel articles. You'll end up with experiences you'll be talking about for years.
    1. Aoi Ike Pond: Literally, "Blue Pond" Visit Hokkaido's Happy Little Accident, an "Unintentionally" Human-Made Pond.

      | Kanae Nakamine
    2. カニの爪オブジェ: A Giant Crab Claw Sticking out of the Northern End of Japan The Largest Statue of Its Kind in the World (I Didn’t Double-Check, but I Am Pretty Sure)

      | Kanae Nakamine
    3. Dezuka Suisan: Deep-Fried Fish Cakes, Hot and Fresh Welcome to the Flavor Capital of Northern Japan

      | Kanae Nakamine
    4. Abashiri Prison Museum: The Perfect Place to Learn About How Prisoners Slept, Ate, Worked, Bathed (and Sometimes Escaped) Travel Back in Time to the Meiji Era to See, Feel, and Experience Japan's Northernmost Prison and Its History

      | Kanae Nakamine
    5. Ezura Farm: A Place You Can Be a Hokkaido Farmer Just for However Long You Want

      | Kanae Nakamine
    6. Fūtendō Cave at Iwatoyama Kanzeonji The cave and temple complex filled with statues (seriously, they're all over)

      | Mami Suzuki
    7. Million Dollar Café: The Karaoke, Free Food, Paintings-Everywhere Bar When you've got nowhere to go but up, you paint the hell out of your restaurant

      | Mami Suzuki
    8. Bar Lupin: Literary Greatness and Old-fashioned Cocktails The most celebrated Japanese artists of the twentieth century got drunk here (and you should, too)

      | Mami Suzuki
    9. mAAch ecute: Akihabara's Best-Kept, Non-otaku Secret A retired Taishō period train station reborn into an upscale shopping paradise

      | Mami Suzuki
    10. iioffice Ueno: The Tokyo Coworking Space That's Really いい For people sick of Shibuya and Shinjuku

      | Viet Hoang
    11. Kaishoku Michiba: A Restaurant by Rokusaburo Michiba, Iron Chef Japanese Does Michiba Rokusaburō's restaurant cuisine reign supreme?

      | Kanae Nakamine
    12. La Rochelle: A Restaurant by Hiroyuki Sakai, Iron Chef French Does Sakai Hiroyuki's restaurant cuisine reign supreme?

      | Kanae Nakamine
    13. Szechuan Restaurant Chin: A Restaurant by Chen Kenichi, Iron Chef Chinese Does Chin Kenichi's restaurant cuisine reign supreme?

      | Koichi
    14. Bar Orchard: The Creative, Fresh Fruit Cocktails of Ginza The passion (fruit) of two bartenders put together one of the best bars in Tokyo

      | Michael Richey
    15. Yakiniku Meimon: Famous Japanese Meat for Famous People The Prime Minister ate here, you guys. C'mon!

      | Kanae Nakamine
    16. Studio Crown: Cosplay, Then Walk the Streets of Akihabara as an Otaku God Rent professional costumes, get professional photos

      | Koichi
    17. Hanachan: A Drinking Place I Love But Can’t Recommend It’s like the Netflix show *Midnight Diner* come to life

      | Koichi
    18. Nakagin Capsule Tower: Retro Future Living Space An entire apartment complex made of 140 individual capsules

      | Mami Suzuki
    19. Umebachiya: Real Veggies, Real Sweet, Real Edo Style One of the last places in Japan you can get candied vegetables made the way they did it in the Edo period.

      | Mami Suzuki
    20. Park Hotel Tokyo: Where Each Room is a Work of Art What if your hotel room was a museum and you could sleep inside?

      | Mami Suzuki
    21. On the Marks: A Kawasaki Hotel for Hip Youths and Business Travelers This place has everything a human needs: craft beer, curry, and beds

      | Mami Suzuki
    22. ChouChou POPON: The Tokyo Bar Filled with Model Trains The tiny plastic fantasy land for train-loving alcoholics

      | Mami Suzuki
    23. Nanachōme Kyōboshi: Ginza's Famous $400 Tempura We bankrupted Tofugu, but it was worth it in the end

      | Mami Suzuki
    24. Ristorante Massa: The Iron Chef Italian Restaurant Does Kōbe Masahiko’s restaurant cuisine reign supreme?

      | Koichi
    25. Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden: Radical Reptiles and Gnarly Nanners Bananas are truly in trouble, and we must all come together to save them. If we don't, places like this will no longer exist, or it'll just be a bunch of alligators and nothing else.

      | Michael Richey
    26. Anata no Warehouse: A Fancy Arcade Modeled After a Very Not-Fancy Place A lot of time and effort went into making this place look dirty.

      | Mami Suzuki
    27. Sushiya no Nohachi: Sushi Made from a Single Grain of Rice Arietty sneaks into this place and eats sushi every night

      | Mami Suzuki
    28. Amano Freeze-Dry Station: Upscale Soup Shop If you think freeze-dried soup can’t be a luxury item, you’re wrong. Tokyo found a way.

      | Mami Suzuki
    29. Chin Kenichi Mabodōfu Restaurant: One Dish, Seven Visits The Szechuan Sage tickled our tastebuds with the power of peppercorns

      | Koichi
    30. Chaos Room: A Kyoto Artist's Retaliation Against a Rule-Following Society No, this isn't the room where you raise your Chaos in Sonic Adventure.

      | Koichi
    31. Bushitsu: An Elementary School Themed Coworking Space in Shimokitazawa Pretend like you're in elementary school while you work on your crushing adult responsibilities

      | Koichi
    32. Base Point: A Tokyo Coworking Space in Busy Shinjuku Like a manga cafe, but fancier and you can work from it

      | Koichi
    33. the SNACK: A Mysterious Tokyo Coworking Space in Ginza Ironically, they don't serve snacks

      | Koichi
    34. &Roll Cafe: Food, Movies, & a Chill Place to Work Get some work done with a side of buttery curry

      | Koichi
    35. Caffice: One of the Rare Tokyo Cafes That Encourages You to Work Cafe + Office = This Place

      | Koichi
    36. Genbudō Park: Hyogo's Five Famous Basalt Caves Five caves, a rock man, and an abandoned murder hotel

      | Mami Suzuki
    37. Kinosaki Onsen Town: Relax in 7 Legendary Hot Springs Meet Gen-san, eat crabs, and watch fireworks in Hyōgo Prefecture

      | Mami Suzuki
    38. Gundam Cafe Akihabara: A Place for Giant Robot Fans Peace is nothing but a result of food

      | Mami Suzuki
    39. KITTE: Tokyo's Best Shopping Center for Fancy Things This place is FIRST CLASS! You’ll be FOREVER STAMPing your 封筒 in glee

      | Mami Suzuki
    40. 1Kara: Tokyo's Place for the Solo Karaoke Warrior Go on a personal vision quest for the perfect karaoke experience

      | Mami Suzuki
    41. Beer Club Popeye: Japan's First Purveyor of Japanese Craft Beer 70 craft beers on tap

      | Koichi
    42. First Cabin Akihabara: The Airplane Themed Capsule Hotel Flying first class to Dreamland

      | Mami Suzuki