• COVID-19 Info: All visitors are asked to wear masks and use the supplied plastic gloves inside the exhibit. For more updates, check the official website https://www.teamlab.art/e/acornforest/

With a gentle nudge or breeze, each ovoid emits a calming sound that permeates throughout the forest.

Though this one doesn’t focus on immersive projection mapping as Borderless does, the interactive installation is where nature makes art come to life. Egg-shaped, silver pods called ovoids are spread throughout a small section within the park and with a gentle nudge or breeze, each ovoid emits a calming sound that permeates throughout the forest.

Photo by: Heidi Sarol Soak it all in.

The interactive installation only takes up a small portion of the expansive park but it is still very much worth going to. Visiting during the day vs. night will yield a completely different experience.

Night and day

During the day, the eggs that are sprawled throughout the hilly landscape reflect the color of the forest floor and surrounding nature. While loosely following the path, move at your own pace in order to truly immerse yourself within the calm, natural atmosphere. Listen closely to how the melody of the ovoid chimes blends seamlessly into the sounds of nature, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Photo by: mkst_ph We don’t know about you, but our dreams are always filled with multi-colored alien eggs.

To avoid the crowds, go on early weekday afternoons—there’s a high chance you’ll have the exhibit all to yourself.

In the evenings, the forest transforms into a colorful light show. Each tree is individually lit and as the light pulses, it seems as if the forest is coming to life right before your eyes. The ovoids are also set up to emit different lights to match the melody.

Whether you choose to visit during the day or at night, make sure to check out the Tokorozawa Sakura Park located next to it. Owned by the publishing company Kodokawa and Tokorozawa City, this complex houses a modern shrine, cafes, an anime museum, and even an anime hotel.

At the top of Mount Kanzan lies Chuson-ji Temple in northern Japan’s Iwate Prefecture. Housing the “Golden Pavilion” of the north, it’s a scenic spot that lets you experience a beautiful temple without the crowds and a few ancient surprises.

Konjikido Temple

Photo by: Pohan Chen Konjikido in winter.

The highlight of Chuson-ji is Konjikido Hall, founded in 1124. The small building is covered in gold and often compared to Kinkakuji, the world-famous Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. It showcases several forms of art and culture from the period it was constructed, such as lacquer work, metalwork, and pearl inlays.

Konjikido also houses the mummified remains of leaders of the Fujiwara Clan. Lord Kiyohira’s mummified body was placed under the central altar. The remains of his son, Motohira, were discovered below the northwest altar.

Photo by: lin Judy (快樂雲) Konjikido houses the mummified remains of the Fujiwara clan leaders.

Originally built outdoors and exposed to the elements, a second structure was built around Konjikido in 1288 for protection. Today, it is surrounded by glass within a concrete building, and photography of the interior is prohibited.

The Sankozo Museum, also called the Treasure Hall, opened in 2000 to preserve Chuson-ji’s historic treasures. More than 3,000 important cultural properties and national treasures are housed here, such as Buddhist statues, scriptures, and other relics that survived the devastating fire.

Chuson-ji history

Photo by: Yasunari(康就) Nakamura(中村) Every August, there is a performance at the temple’s Noh Theatre

This UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded by a Buddhist monk named Ennin in 850, known for studying Buddhism around Japan and recording a travelogue.

In the 12th century, Lord Kiyohara of the Fujiwara clan undertook a large-scale construction project to expand the temple in memory of the lives lost during previous wars. At its height, Chuson-ji had more than 40 halls and pagodas, and 300 residences for monks. 

Hachimando Hall Shrine on Chuson-ji Temple’s grounds.

The temple complex declined after 100 years during a period of political strife. Only two temple structures survived a massive fire in the 1300s. The same buildings still stand today—the Konjikido Temple and a storehouse for religious sutras.

A few buildings were rebuilt over the following centuries, including the main hall. Many Buddhist rituals associated with the temple still occur. Built in 1909, it houses a historical Buddha, with eternal flames lit on either side.

Visitors can get to Chuson-ji by making their way up the Tsukimi-zaka (moon-viewing hill), lined by trees planted during the Tokugawa period (1603-1868).

Tachiarai City in eastern Fukuoka Prefecture offers two very different museums focusing on the history of kamikaze pilots towards the end of World War II. One of them is the Chikuzen Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum, the other one the privately run Tachiarai Retro Station Museum. Both are absolutely worth a visit for history buffs.

Both museums are situated on the grounds of the former Tachiarai Airfield, opened in 1919. The airfield quickly grew into the largest military airfield of East Asia. Things turned dark, though, when Japan entered World War II. Tachiarai Air Base became a central transfer point for deadly kamikaze attacks.

Who were the kamikaze pilots?

Photo by: Johannes Schonherr Mitsubishi Zero at the Chikuzenmachi Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum

The Tokubetsu kogeki tai (Special Attack Units), known in Japanese shorthand as tokkotai or more commonly kamikaze, were special forces deployed for suicide missions towards the end of World War II whose goal was to sink American battleships.

Although often described as volunteers, it’s a questionable description considering the substantial pressure the Japanese military put on their personnel and the traditional glorification of self-sacrifice rooted in samurai culture. Today, the kamikaze pilots are viewed as tragic figures in Japan, their sacrifices serving no other purpose than prolonging the war.

Kamikaze pilots were chiefly deployed from airbases in the far south of Kyushu, such as Chiran, Kanoya, and Ibusuki in Kagoshima Prefecture. However, Tachiarai Airfield played a central role in their deployment. American bombing raids destroyed the Tachiarai airbase in March 1945.

Inside the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum

Chikuzen Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum

The Chikuzenmachi Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum is a large modern structure housing two original kamikaze airplanes, one of which is the only surviving Nakajima 97 fighter plane in the world. There is also a United States Boeing B-29 Superfortress, shot down in the vicinity sometime during the war, now hanging from the museum’s ceiling.

A message from the museum reminds visitors to “consider the importance of peace by reflecting on the tragedy of war, which should never be forgotten.”

Audiovisual materials detail the horrors of both kamikaze attacks and American bombings.

The museum strives to promote world peace and understanding while documenting the events that took place at Tachiarai Airfield before and during the kamikaze missions. Audiovisual materials detail the horrors of both kamikaze attacks and American bombings. There are lots of artifacts and testimonials on display, including portraits of American airmen who died in the attacks on Tachiarai, donated by the airmen’s families.

Keep in mind photography is mostly prohibited.

Tachiarai Retro Station

Photo by: そらみみ Tachiarai Station.

Located within the still operational Tachiarai Station is a privately-run precursor to the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum. When the peace museum opened, many of the exhibits on display at Tachiarai Station transferred there, including the rare Nakajima 97 fighter plane.

Today, the Retro Station feels like an antique shop. It’s full of obscure cultural artifacts from the late Showa era, such as film projectors, radios, cigarette packages, and more. However, the modest train station is hard to miss thanks to the postwar Lockheed T-33 impressively mounted to its roof.

If you express a sincere interest to the elderly couple running the museum, you might be allowed to see some rare artifacts up close and learn more intimate stories about the kamikaze pilots.

Photo by: Johannes Schonherr Items from a bygone past.

One such story involves the Nakajima 97 displayed at the Peace Museum. In early 1945, a young pilot, Toshihiro Watanabe, was ordered to go to Chiran to join the kamikaze squad. His Nakajima 97 had engine failure and crashed into Hakata Bay. Watanabe was rescued, brought to Tachiarai, equipped with another plane, and sent on his way. Days later, he died in the Battle of Okinawa.

In 1996, his Nakajima 97 was salvaged from Hakata Bay and brought to Tachiarai. It’s thought to be the only surviving fighter plane of its type.  You can read Watanabe’s diary and watch videos of the aircraft raised from the sea and restored at the Retro Station.

The elderly couple running Tachiarai Retro Station doesn’t speak any English.  If you feel that your Japanese is not up to the task, you may want to go with someone who speaks Japanese to make the most of your visit.

• COVID-19 Info: All visitors are asked to wear masks inside the museum. For more updates, check the official website https://borderless.teamlab.art/#information

Immerse yourself in showers of light. It’s exactly as mind-bending as it sounds.

The exhibit, housed at the Mori Building Digital Art Museum in Odaiba, Tokyo, is truly an experience. The art morphs and transforms, encapsulating visitors and tantalizing their senses.

Photo by: Anthony V Moulay A cascade of colors.

Opened in 2018, the museum uses over 400 projectors to fill the 10,000-meter space with free-flowing interactive designs.

Jump into the space-time continuum and experience the evolution of a star from simple stardust to a black hole, or simply immerse yourself in showers of light.

Let the vivid images whisk you away into another dimension.

It’s exactly as mind-bending as it sounds, and that’s only the beginning—teamLab Borderless has much more in store.

An interactive experience

Google teamLab Borderless and the Forest of Resonating Lamps will definitely pop up. The extremely Instagram famous room is filled with countless LED bulbs in an array of color schemes.

Photo by: senngokujidai4434 The Forest of Resonating Lamps.

One visit might take you to any icy blue fantasy, while the next may see the room glowing with different hues of green and purple. No two visits are ever the same.

Mori Art Museum

The mystical background music sets the tone perfectly for this fairytale of lights, colors, and sounds.

Reach out and touch the characters marching along the museum walls to see how they interact with you, but be gentle with the fluttering butterflies—if you touch them, they’ll die.

Photo by: rabbit_akra Which way is up and which way is down?

With countless artworks, a teahouse, and even a kid-friendly area, you can (and will) spend hours here.

While the museum is practically made for Instagram, the best way to enjoy it is distraction-free, letting the vivid images whisk you away into another dimension.

Many of Japan’s incredible museums and galleries are accessible online thanks to Google Arts & Culture. With Google Street View technology you can “walk” through halls by clicking through the passageways, teleport to different floors, and even zoom in on artifacts for a better look.

Travel Japan from home

7 Live Streams of Japan to Watch From Home

Want to explore more museums in Japan?

Check out some of our favorites

• Teamlab Borderless Digital Art Museum
• Unko Museum Odaiba
• Matsumoto City Museum of Art
• Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum
• Kyoto International Manga Museum

The Hakone Museum of Art (or Hakone bijutsukan in Japanese) is an ideal stop for photographers and people interested in Japanese culture and history.  Most visitors to Hakone overlook the Hakone Museum of Art and go straight for the Hakone Open Air Museum, a popular modern art and sculpture museum. But, trust us, both are worth your while.

Japanese ceramics and earthenware

Haniwa statues are cute and creepy at the same time.

Located along the Hakone-Tozan Cable Car between Owakudani and Gora Stations, the main museum displays consist of historic earthenware and ceramics found in Japan that date back to prehistoric times up to the Edo Period (1603–1868). Museum goers can view small decorative plates and figurines,  as well as large vases and pots once used for fermenting food.

Be sure to head to the second floor, where a large window overlooks the garden outside and the Hakone mountains in the distance. A museum shop on-site sells several Japanese handicrafts including Japanese cloth, wooden keepsake boxes, and ceramics.

Sekirakuen Garden

Fall foliage at the Hakone Museum of Art is particularly spectacular.

The main highlights of the Hakone Museum of Art are the two traditional gardens on its grounds. Shinsenkyo is referred to as the moss garden and the second is a more secluded Japanese landscape garden called Sekirakuen. The moss garden is carpeted with 130 different varieties of soft moss, with a narrow stone trail winding through it. In the center of the moss garden is a teahouse where you can relax with a cup of matcha tea, peacefully accented by a neighboring koi pond and waterfall.

Woah, black eggs!

For your fill of traditional Japanese aesthetic, be sure to add the Hakone Museum of Art to your Hakone bucket list.

A crank-operated fan underneath Marilyn Monroe’s dress reveals a rather *ahem* hairy situation at the Atami Adult Museum. The delightful ‘80s playhouse sits overlooking the small resort town of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture. It’s the last of its kind in the country.

The museum boasts an impressive display of shunga and sex toys dating back to the Edo period. For research purposes only, of course.

With three floors and over 30 attractions to explore, Atami’s den of debauchery is sure to excite and titillate.

Inside the Atami Hihokan

Photo by: Kate That’s a big johnson you’ve got there, ma’am.

While other hihokan (sex museums or treasure houses) in Japan featured depictions of hardcore violence and gore, Atami’s museum is focused on “humor and nonsense.” This is probably a big reason for the museum’s continued popularity. They’ve experienced a steady increase in (especially female) patronage over the years while other such museums have disappeared into the abyss.

As you make your way through the museum, you’ll find yourself being serenaded by topless mermaid automatons, and peering into a women’s only onsen (hot spring). Thankfully, you won’t be peaking in on actual women bathing, just robots!

Photo by: tatu117 The adult version of The Little Mermaid.

Don’t get too excited though—when you step on the mat in front of the onsen peephole, a jet of water will splash you in the face. Reactions from other visitors nearby range from shrieks of terror to uproarious laughter, adding to the silly atmosphere.

For history buffs, the museum boasts an impressive display of shunga (traditional Japanese erotic art) and sex toys dating back to the Edo period. For research purposes only, of course.

Check out the museum’s official teaser below for more of what to expect inside.

After you have received your naughty paper fortune from the bare-bottomed shrine maiden and picked up something randy from the souvenir shop, step out onto the balcony to be greeted by sweeping views of the coast.

Atami Hihokan’s sexy history

When the museum first opened to the public in 1980, it was one of over forty adult museums dotting the nation. However, the beginning of the Heisei era in 1989 brought with it an increased desire to “refine” the more vulgar corners of Japan. One by one, Japan’s adult museums found themselves shuttered and forgotten.

Photo by: seinahirota After you’ve seen enough fine booty, take a look out over Atami’s sweeping coastline.

The Atami Adult Museum is the last of these Showa-era (1926-1989) pleasure halls and continues to welcome 300 to 600 patrons daily, from curious couples to gaggles of giggling grandmothers.

It’s easily reachable from the relaxing hot spring town Atami via ropeway. Fill up on freshly-caught seafood or wind down at one of the town’s hot spring baths afterward.

What’s with Japan and penises? We don’t know, but the annual Kanamara Penis Festival is a total riot you should see for yourself.

Fans of art or horror movies, listen up. There’s a tiny little museum on the outskirts of Kochi’s city center, nestled in the heart of Akaoka, the eerily quiet old quarter. Inside is a feast of color: gruesome battle scenes and horrific demons brought to life in the dim of the museum’s interior.

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絵金、おもしろかったけど、せっかくの原画はもうちょっとちゃんと見せてよ〜〜う。祭りに来てみたい！！！#オソブランコ #ヴィレッジ高知 #絵金 #village_kochi

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In a world where many visitors to Japan may only have heard of Hokusai, what else does the Japanese art world have to offer? Well, Ekin for starters. So, who is he?

Inside the mind of Ekin

Once a privileged painter of the Tosa aristocracy, Kinzo Hirose who is better known as Ekin fell from grace after allegations of forgery. Free from the restraints of what was seen as acceptable as an artist, he went on to create sweeping masterpieces depicting scenes from Japan’s historical and fictional past.

Decapitations and ritual disembowelment are a common theme.

Not for the faint of heart, Ekin’s paintings contain gruesome violence—decapitations and ritual disembowelment are a common theme. Think traditional Japanese paintings of Kabuki scenes, except covered in blood.

10 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Kochi

Pushing back the curtain to the first room of the museum, you are greeted by a dark room illuminated only by your lantern. Edging closer to the walls, the paintings come alive in all their gruesomely beautiful detail.

Other rooms follow that show you how Ekin’s artistic prowess evolved from the days of quaint woodblocks to the huge screens that populated his work in later life.

Ekin Festival

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2019/07/21 高知旅 土曜日夜に見たかった絵金祭りでしたが土曜日は中止 日曜は開催とのことで、あかおかへ。 19:00から各店前にに襖絵が飾られるのだけど なんとか飛ぶことが決定した帰りの飛行機に向かうため、ギリギリ見れたのはこの二枚だけ。。。 ＊ けど昨日見た絵金蔵のレプリカとは全然緑の色が違った！ ＊ 19:00までは暑すぎてカフェでビールと無水カレーとチヂミを頂きました〜。 ＊ ＊ #絵金 #絵金祭り #赤岡 #あかおか #無水カレー #絵金のグロテスクな襖絵より #ブティックのマネキンの方がリアルに怖いんだが #来年は夜ちゃんと見たいぜー！ #このあと高知龍馬空港 #チェックインしても名古屋からの便が空港に降りれなかったら引き返すのでキャンセルになりますと言われた #無事搭乗完了するも #アトラクション並みに揺れ #死ぬ思いして名古屋空港着陸

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On the third Saturday and Sunday of July, the streets of Akaoka glow underneath the soft light of the Ekin Festival. Numerous screens from him and similar artists are displayed by candlelight and the neighborhood turns into a bustling beer garden with lots of food stalls. The museum is free for visitors during the festival.

While photography is typically prohibited in the museum, festival-goers can feel free to snap pics of the screens on display during this weekend. Be sure not to use flash though, as it causes the paintings to fade quicker. Watch Ekin’s paintings come to life, minus all the blood, during live kabuki performances at the Bentenza stage in front of the museum.

A truly magical find, this tiny museum in a derelict old quarter of the city brims with personality and enthusiasm, promising an unforgettable experience for all.

Exploring the Meguro Parasitological Museum will leave you feeling simultaneously enthralled and disgusted. The parasite-infected animals, bugs, and worms housed inside are enough to make your skin crawl.

The strangeness of it all will keep you delighted in intrigue for hours.

Step into a mad scientist style lab with tubes of exotic specimens lining the walls. By exotic specimens, we mean mice riddled with tumors, infected fish, and more worms than you’ve ever needed to see.

Those with a weak stomach should avert their eyes now before it’s too late.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green We tried to warn you.

In the name of science

The small museum and research facility was established in 1953 by medical doctor Satoru Kamegai. These days it’s a hotspot for children interested in science, and those with a morbid fascination for creepy things.

It’s a popular date spot too — roundworms are so romantic.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green Romantic roundworms.

Displays are spread across two compact floors, but the strangeness of it all will keep you delighted in intrigue for hours.

The first floor educates visitors on the diverse range of parasites that lurk in the unseen corners of our world, while the second shows what happens when they burrow into human and animal hosts.

A bot-fly diagram on the second floor describes in detail how the insect deposits its eggs on mosquitoes, who then transfer the eggs to humans upon biting them. The botfly larva grows under the skin, squirming and writhing until it matures and leaves the host behind.

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green What a strange place.

The most brutal display is an 8.8 meter-long tapeworm (about 29 feet long) that was extracted from a man after he ate infected raw salmon three months prior. Dr. Kamegai removed it after the man noticed something hanging out of his rectum after defecating. Gross.

To give you a better idea of its sheer size, the museum has a long piece of thin fabric the same length of the tapeworm on display. It’s so long that even from the other end of the room, you can’t pull it out straight.

Imagine that living inside you for three months!

Photo by: Randiah Camille Green Yikes.

While most of the explanations are in Japanese, many of the displays have a QR code that will show English information if you scan it with your smartphone camera.

Don’t forget to pick up a real parasite keychain — or maybe just a t-shirt — from the gift shop.

Definitely skip breakfast before coming here.

• Cup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda is temporarily closed until further notice due to the coronavirus. For updates on the COVID-19 situation in Japan check GaijinPot Blog: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/is-it-safe-to-visit-japan-as-the-coronavirus-cases-increase/

The museum, just north of Osaka city in Ikeda, celebrates the beloved instant food with quirky and colorful displays, interactive exhibits, and live factory demonstrations. Here’s what you need to know to experience this wacky niche museum for yourself!

Interactive noodle exhibits

Photo by: Cyradis Noodle archway.

An archway of Nissin Cup Noodle packaging and a larger than life cross-section of one of the infamous cups awaits visitors inside. Learn the history of this convenient food through the interactive timeline of instant noodles from their inception to the modern-day.

The displays and activities are so visually appealing that you don’t even need to understand Japanese to enjoy them!

Photo by: Wiki We wish we could find an actual cup of instant ramen this big.

The real reason most people visit here though is the My CUPNOODLES Factory which allows visitors to create their own cup with flavors and ingredients of their choice. Select your ramen preferences then watch an assembly line team package it for you.

Customize it even further by designing your own logo, writing a message to a loved one, or simply doodling on the styrofoam package before it’s sealed.

Photo by: Holly So. Many. Noodles.

If you want a more hands-on experience, try the Chicken Ramen Factory workshop where you can make the classic flavor for yourself.  Advance reservations are required to participate, however.

Before you leave, pop by the Tasting Hall and sample limited edition and regional flavors all in one place. Choose what you want directly from the nifty ramen vending machines.

Ikeda: The birthplace of Cup Noodles

Instant ramen was actually created in Ikeda back in the ’50s, even though the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama is decidedly more popular.

The invention of Cup Noodles helped families recovering from the aftermath of WWII afford hot food.

In 1958, the world’s first instant noodle product, Chicken Ramen, was made in a “research shed” in Ikeda. The tiny shack belonged to Taiwanese-Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin. At the time, Nissin was a small and unknown local company. Imagine that!

Photo by: Wiki Where it all began.

The invention of Cup Noodles helped families recovering from the aftermath of WWII afford hot food in addition to just being a breakthrough in modern convenience. It also helped Japan catch up to the instant food craze that swept the US and other nations in the ‘50s.

Now it’s a global phenomenon, consumed worldwide by the billions every year. Happy slurping!