Quirky And Off The Beaten Path Travel In Tokyo
Mainstream Nerd Culture
Japan is a country where it is not too difficult to find quirky and off the beaten path things to do. Tokyo is the mecca of anime, video games, and anything ranging from the quirky to the straight-up bizarre. That being said, simply walking down the streets in Tokyo will have you coming across totally outlandish spectacles that will have your feet glued to the spot. From flash mobs to dance performances, there will never be any two days in Tokyo that will ever be spent the same.
There is no better place to kick off getting off the beaten path in Tokyo than Akihabara. Although you will find tour buses carting groups of luxury tourists every day, they are usually confined to one or two department stores. Akihabara still has plenty of novelty shops and arcades that you will find suspiciously and almost eerily devoid of people. Some of the best places to pull up a stool and drop some yen on some games in Akihabara are Club Sega and Super Potato. But these two arcades just scratches the surface of what Akihabara has to offer.
Other than melting your brain with some classic arcade games, Akihabara is also home to the kawaii maid cafes. You can even find these skimpily clad girls loitering on the streets handing out flyers to their cafes. If you are looking to experience these borderline nauseating but nevertheless mindboggling cafes, you can start with the one shop that started them all Cure Maid Cafe. From anime shops to karaoke, you will never be short on things to explore in Akihabara. A traveler could spend weeks window-shopping in this electronic city and still never fail to be amazed at all they have tucked away in its narrow-tall towers.
Want more off the beaten path travel in Japan? Look at visiting the Nintendo Headquarters in Kyoto!
Tokyo’s Pokemon Center
No matter what corner of the globe you may be from if you had any childhood at all you will know Pokemon. Amongst your pilgrimages to Nintendo and Sega, you will not want to pass up the chance on immersing yourself in all things Pikachu. No matter where you may find yourself in Tokyo, you will be able to find these cuddly plushes and pokemon souvenirs withing a few subway stops away.
One of the largest Pokemon Centers in all of Japan is rightfully named Pokemon Center MEGA. You will find this novelty souvenir shop on the 2end floor of Sunshine City Mall in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. These Pokemon Centers are so much more than just a place to drop some dough and bring back tons of lifesize Pokemon dolls home with you on your flight back home, but they also host their own Pokemon card game workshops, meet and greets with the Pokemon (in mascot suits), and is even home to a pokemon cafe.
You will have to remind yourself you are an adult when you are tempted to push the children out of the way to shake the hands of Pikachu, but despite the crowds and the childish nature of the journey to the Pokemon Center, it is a trip you won’t regret.
If you are looking for more of a spiritual journey through Japan, be sure to visit Miyajima Island!
Tokyo’s Godzilla Statues
From an early age, the first scenes you probably ever saw of Tokyo was the city being squished under the foot of the relentless King of Monsters: Godzilla. Ever since his debut nearly 70 years ago, Godzilla has become an icon in his native Tokyo. There is even a superstition that if Godzilla destroys your neighborhood in one of his movies that the area will prosper in real life. From movie fame to unbelievable myths, it is quite understandable why locals would build statues of this massive lizard throughout Tokyo.
One of the most famous Godzilla statues in Tokyo you will find roaring from above the skyline in Shinjuku. The Godzilla head is based on the 1992 movie Godzilla Vs Mothra. Since its unveiling in 2015, the statue has become an icon perched next to the Toho Cinema and Hotel Gracery. You can get up close to the Godzilla Head in Shinjuku if you are a guest at the hotel or cafe. The security may let you on the terrace without having to buy anything depending on his mood. Shinjuku’s Godzilla head is not the only place where you will find the King of Monsters, you will find plenty more hidden throughout Tokyo!
Wanting to get off the beaten path in the Japanese Alp? Be sure to travel to Takayama!
The Samurai Museum
No trip to Tokyo would be complete without getting in touch with the ancient warrior culture which still courses through the veins of every Japanese person. The mystical samurai may be long gone, but their presence can still be seen throughout the towering modern metropolis of Tokyo. You can always visit the Tokyo National Museum, but unfortunately many of the exhibits house reproductions rather than original suits of armor and katanas.
The best place to truly get up close and personal with the ghosts of the shogunate is at the Samurai Museum. This private collection located in Shinjuku may not be as massive as the national museum, but the armor that you will find behind its doors tickles the imagination. From bullet holes in the helmets to sword blows in the armor, many of the pieces were bought off of families before they were brought to their final resting place in the museum. The Samurai Museum also has daily performances and demonstrations of its visitors. The museum is a bit pricey, costing 1,800 Yen (16.50 USD) to visit but well worth the visit if you grew up dreaming of a romantic feudal Japan.
Japan is a country packed to the brim with castles. If you were to visit just one, make sure it is Himeji!
The Cup Noodles Museum
Although technically located in Yokohama, The Cup Noodles Museum brings in droves of curious tourists daily from neighboring Tokyo. With the city’s sophisticated metro system, you can easily have time to explore Yokohama in a day. What may, at first, seem like a tongue in cheek visit to The Cup Noodle Museum, will actually turn into an insightful yet whimsical journey through every single bachelors’ favorite dinner. From the history of the cup noodles to bizarre modern art pieces, traveling to this museum in Yokohama is sure to be one of the highlights of your trip.
The highlight of your tour of the Cup Noodle Museum is actually trying your hand at creating your own unique flavor of instant noodles. After adding your own ingredients, you can carry your concoction back home with you to try for dinner. The museum also is home to its own food court serving various kinds of noodles from around the world. Admission to the museum is only 500 yen (4.60 USD) but you will have to pay extra to make your own noodles and sample bowls from the food bazaar.
Japan is not known as a cheap country, you can find some tips to travel to Japan on a budget here!
Ghibli Museum
Pokemon, Godzilla, Mario, the list of nerd travel sites in Tokyo would not be complete without visiting the mecca of all of Japanese animation: the Ghibli Museum. You can actually find tons of nods to Studio Ghibli throughout Tokyo and Japan as a whole, but nothing quite holds a light to actually visiting this showcase of some of the best anime films on the planet.
Before you hop on a train and make the journey all the way to the outskirts of Tokyo, you will first have to secure yourself a ticket. You can only visit the Ghibli Museum with a reserved ticket purchased at a Lawson Convenient Store or through a travel agency. Unfortunately, the kiosks in Lawson are only in Japanese, but if you stand there looking confused long enough, someone is bound to help you. Tickets to the museum only cost about 1000 Yen (9.10 USD)
Although you will find a handful of adult fans touring the museum, the complex is geared towards children. The exhibits also seldom showcase anything actually relating to the history of Studio Ghibli, but rather are filled to the brim with animated scenes and animatronic figures. The experience is not one that will have you begging to go on another ride through the crowded halls of the museum, not to mention photography is also prohibited throughout the museum. But Studio Ghibli is still a place you will have to visit to feel truly satisfied while on your geek tour through Tokyo.
To see a more rustic and romantic side of Japan, you will want to be sure to visit Shirakawago!
Off The Beaten Path Travel In Tokyo
For anything offbeat or underground, Tokyo is a city that gives a platform for every single subculture and fad known to man. It doesn’t take too much searching to find some mindboggling spectacle on the streets of this metropolitan city. From the 1950’s greasers known as the Rockabilly Gang who perform in Yoyogi Park every Sunday to massive Gundam Statues looming over the city streets, you don’t really need a plan when it comes to experiencing the wacky side of Japan. In Tokyo, the cosplayers and street performers will come straight to you.
It is impossible to create one master list off all of the offbeat and off the beaten path travel destinations in Tokyo. Literally every corner of the city has some kind of spectacle any hour of the day. In this bewildering yet fascinating city, you will find that the lines are often blurred between reality and fantasy.
