The Weirdest Museums to Explore in Japan

Museum of Sewerage, Tokyo

Yep, Tokyo is home to a sewerage museum. Located by Tokyo bay, the museum is all about the disposal (and cleaning) of used water. If you’re brave enough to dig deep into Japan’s world of sewerage there are a number of exhibits ready for you to explore.

Apart from displays covering the mechanics behind the dirty sewerage, what’s most fascinating about this museum is located on the B5 Floor, hidden about 25 meters deep underground. Labeled the ‘Fureai Experience Room’ this exhibit is where visitors are able to stand on a bridge spanning an actual, working wastewater tunnel. It’s recommended you visit before you eat your lunch.

2 Chome-3-5 Ariake, Kōtō-ku, Tōkyō-to 135-0063, Japan, +81 4 2326 7411

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Ramen Museum, Yokohama

Given that Japan is a food-obsessed nation, it only makes sense that the country’s unofficial national dish, ramen, gets its own museum. As adored internationally as it is inside of Japan, what’s so great about ramen is its versatility. There are as many types of ramen as there are people who eat it, and at the Yokohama Ramen Museum you can explore as many variations as your stomach can handle.

Built to look like Shitamachi, the old town of Tokyo, the double storey building houses nine separate vendors each sharing their own unique recipes. Though it’s more of a fancy food court than a museum exactly, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in Yokohama and are interested in eating your way through Japan.

２−１４−２, Shinyokohama, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, 222-0033, +81 4 5471 0503

Ramen Museum | © knhiraoka/Flickr

Cup Noodles Museum, Yokohama

Another Yokohama stop off is the Nissin Cup Noodles museum. Situated near the popular tourist destination of the city’s bayside, this tastefully minimalist museum looks more like an ultra-contemporary art space than the home of cup noodles.

Inside the monolithic museum, there’s a mini-cinema, which screens a regular feature on the history of the cup noodle, a make-your-own cup noodle laboratory and art gallery dedicated to the popular convenience food. It sounds like a strange place to visit, but the museum is actually a fascinating look at the history of Japan’s ingenuity.

2 Chome-3-4 Shinko, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture 231-0001, +81 4 5345 0918

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