5 Weird Outdoor activities to try in Japan

Japan is a land of contrasts.  The land of the rising sun has always fascinated foreigners because for many years, they wouldn’t allow outside influences. Because of this, Japan developed a national culture and identity that is so unique and distinct from the entire world, even the rest of Asia.

If you visit the country, you will find a strange juxtaposition of very technologically advanced, modern and avant-garde ideas, co-mingled with traditional buildings, food, and ways of living.  Japan is also a land of visionaries and artists with very specific points of view.  This has birthed a culture of strangeness, at least to foreign eyes, which makes this country so fascinating to visit.

Just walking the streets of the big cities or attempting to look at the view from a high-speed train, you know that there is something strangely weird about this place.

Here is a list of 5 weird outdoor activities to try in Japan. Just be wise and make sure you are reliably covered by your travel insurance against any mishaps that can happen.

1. Visit Cat Island

The remote island of Tahsirojima in Ishinomaki, Japan is called Cat Island because of the simple fact that it is overrun by cats. Only about a hundred human beings live in the island, and the rest are felines, who outnumber the humans 5 to 1.  In Japanese culture, cats are believed to bring good fortune, so people take care of stray cats.  As the cat population grew on the island and the human population dwindled, the human residents became more protective of their cats. Curious travellers can reach the island by ferry.

2. Stroll down Takeshita street

Japanese street fashion is one of the most fascinating things to behold.  Strolling down Takeshita Street, you will find the Harajuku girls, young girls dressed up in completely outrageous outfits, all decked out with accessories, with the wildest hair and makeup imaginable.  They have become world-famous and many celebrities admit that they look up to these girls as their fashion icons. Don’t hesitate to ask the girls if you could take photos of them.  They will gladly say yes.

3. Visit Yoro Park

Yoro Park is located in the small town of Yoro, Japan.  It is called a park, but it also part art exhibit, and interactive display.  Before going to the park, visitors are warned to expect the unexpected.  It is a mind-boggling experience, it is just so brilliant. The park guides manipulate the surroundings to give the visitors an enriching and strange experience.  Names of the attractions are The Critical Resemblance House, The Reversible Destiny Office, the Elliptical Field, and the Insect Mountain Range.

4. Be pampered at the Yunessun Spa Resort

When you go to a spa, you expect to be pampered with essential aromatherapy oils and relax your aching muscles in warm, bubbling water infused with essential scents and relaxing oils.  Well, in Japan’s Yunessun Spa Resort, they took the spa experience one step further by letting visitors dip in pools of broth, wine, coffee, and ramen.  My two favorites though are the Green Tea Spa and the Japanese Sake Spa.  The pools are set outdoors, amidst quirky decorations of giant wine bottles beside the Red Wine Spa, and noodles hanging over the ramen pool.  It is so much fun!

5. Watch the Performance of The Giant Ghibli Clock

Right in the middle of Tokyo, you can find what can only be described as a steampunk-Victorian Vaudeville-inspired cuckoo clock.  Did I mention that it is a giant clock that accurately tells time? Located at the Nippon television headquarters, the 20 tonne, three story high clock does a variety of clanks, spits, whirs, rings, hisses, and many other little sounds every hour. It is a different show for each appointed hour.  Don’t miss the shows every week day at 12noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 8pm.