Best Things to Do in Japan: Unique Bucket List Experiences

Visiting Japan is a culture shock in the best way because there are so many charming and unique experiences that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. From soaking in natural hot springs to indulging in delicious local food specialties you can’t find at home, and shopping for quirky souvenirs or taking time to appreciate nature’s beauty, Japan is full of surprises. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, this list is all about the culturally unique, must-try experiences that will make your Japan trip meaningful and unforgettable.

1. Indulge in a Kaiseki Dinner

Kaiseki is a multi-course Japanese dinner that transforms seasonal ingredients into edible art. The Japanese are masters at making everything pretty, and kaiseki is an example of food that is truly almost too beautiful to eat. Kaiseki is one of those unique food experiences that is hard to find outside of Japan, so don’t miss out on the experience while you’re in Japan! For a complete kaiseki experience, have the meal in a ryokan with an onsen in Hakone or Kawaguchiko. Or even if you’re just visiting the big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, you can find amazing kaiseki restaurants there as well.

2. Soak in an Onsen

You can find a hot tub anywhere, but you can only find onsens in Japan. Onsens are natural Japanese hot springs that are geothermally heated, and the water supposedly has minerals that are good for your skin and have health benefits. This is more than just a hot bath, it’s a really relaxing soak. Especially because many onsens are designed to have relaxing views to admire while you soak. There is some etiquette involved with using onsens, including no swimming suits. Most onsens are public and separated by gender. But if you’re not comfortable with public nudity, you can also book time at a private onsen or book a hotel with rooms that have private onsens in the room.

• Easily book a private onsen through Klook!

3. Stay in a Ryokan

One of the best parts about traveling to Japan is how completely different it is from Western culture. This extends to accommodations as well. If you want to immerse yourself in traditional Japanese culture, I would highly recommend staying a couple nights in a ryokan rather than a hotel. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, often with tatami mat rooms where the staff lay out futon bedding to sleep on at night. The ryokans usually come with a traditional Japanese breakfast and kaiseki dinner for a full Japanese bed and breakfast experience.

4. Participate in a Tea Ceremony

Participating in a tea ceremony in Japan is not just about drinking the tea itself, it’s about appreciating the whole shared experience of a host artfully preparing a cup of tea for you to enjoy. I’ve found that it does help to attend a tea ceremony with an English-speaking host so that they can walk you through the nuances of the ceremony and meaning behind each step, because otherwise it just feels a little bewildering to wonder if you’re following the ceremony correctly or making a social gaffe. Many times the tea ceremonies take place in lovely Japanese gardens. It’s overall just a very calm, mindful, and peaceful way to spend a couple hours.

5. Enjoy Cherry Blossom Viewing

One thing I really admire about the Japanese is their dedication to appreciating the beauty of nature, especially when it’s a fleeting beauty like the cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms only bloom for a short period every year, and because of that they are celebrated in Japan with cherry blossom viewing parties. Many cities in Japan have parks with clusters of cherry blossom trees. There are some famous cherry blossom viewing spots like Ueno Park in Tokyo or Kiyomizudera Temple in Kyoto, but you can find cherry blossom trees at smaller parks as well that are less crowded. Timing your trip with the cherry blossoms is the hardest part – but there is a cherry blossom forecast every year to estimate when full bloom will occur.

6. Watch a Sumo Match

I never understood the appeal of sumo until one day when I happened to be channel surfing and landed on an episode of Grand Sumo highlights. You think that it would just be two very large man ramming each other with brute force, but there is actually quite a bit of balance and fancy footwork involved with staying inside the ring. It’s pretty amazing to see these giant guys gracefully dancing around the edge of the ring to avoid stepping out. Watching a sumo match live takes quite a bit longer because there is a lot of ceremony that gets edited out when watching the highlights, but it is a unique experience to be in the stands and feel the excitement live from the crowd.

7. Ride the Shinkansen

The shinkansen is not the cheapest way to travel in Japan, but it is the fastest way and it is unique to Japan. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, traveling on the shinkansen is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. If you’re traveling with a train-loving toddler, then this is a definite must-do. For ideas on the best way to incorporate shinkansens on your trip, check out our hidden gems of Japan itinerary for amazing cities that are slightly off the beaten track.

• For tips on navigating the shinkansen with kids, check out our Japan with kids travel tips.

8. Eat the Freshest Sushi at the Fish Market

Sushi is probably never on your breakfast menu at home, but if you love fresh sushi then you’ll definitely find yourself having sushi for breakfast at 6am in Tokyo. Having breakfast sushi straight from the source at the fish market in Tokyo is a uniquely Japanese experience. There usually is a bit of a line, especially at the popular restaurants. I’ve found there are two camps of people – the ones who feel like the wait makes the sushi taste sweeter, and those that feel the sushi does not live up to the wait. I think it just depends on your tolerance for lines in general. If you don’t think anything is worth the wait, then don’t go to the most popular places (like Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai). But do still go – don’t miss out on tasting the freshest sushi of your life!

9. Admire Mount Fuji

Seeing the iconic Mount Fuji in Japan is a bucket list sight because the peak of the mountain can be so elusive. There are days when the mountain is shrouded in clouds and if you only have one day near Mount Fuji, then you may be sorely disappointed. While you can hike up Mount Fuji, for a less strenuous way to admire the peak you can visit the resort towns of Hakone or Kawaguchiko where you can catch views of Mount Fuji perfectly positioned behind pretty lakes.

10. Hunt for Snacks at 7-Eleven

I don’t think there are many other countries in the world where visiting a convenience store is considered a bucket list activity, but 7-Elevens in Japan are a special place. I love looking for interesting snacks when we travel to other countries. And 7-Eleven does not disappoint. Besides the snacks, there is also a selection of hot food and onigiris that are actually tasty. Just make sure not to commit the social faux pas of eating those snacks while walking! We popped into a 7-Eleven at least once a day, whether it was to get cash from the ATMs or just to pick up a snack. How can we lobby to bring Japanese-level 7-Elevens to the United States?

11. Shop at Don Quijote

One of the joys of shopping in Japan is finding the most random quirky things that you never knew you needed that you would never be able to find in the United States. And the massive Don Quijote stores is your best bet for finding these gems. The Don Quijote stores seem to sell everything and anything that you could possibly imagine and many things you would never have imagined. And there are often viral make up and skin care products found here that are high quality at a fraction of the cost. We could spend hours browsing the different floors of the store and it’s a great place to find unique souvenirs to bring home. There are Don Quijotes in just about every city, but one of the largest ones is in Tokyo near Shibuya station.

If you want to browse Don Quijote without the craziness, then visit one in a less tourist-heavy city like Nagoya.

To narrow down your shopping list, check out my curated list of what to buy in Japan for moms here!

12. Reflect in a Japanese Garden

Japan is the home of zen and meditation and there is no better place to attempt a mindfulness practice than a Japanese Garden. The meticulously manicured Japanese gardens seem especially designed to invoke a feeling of calm and serenity. While you can find beautiful Japanese gardens in every city in Japan, there are three especially famous Japanese gardens. One of the easily accessible great Japanese gardens is the Kenroku-en in Kanazawa.

13. Feel the Magic at Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo DisneySea is not your typical Disney experience. Because Tokyo DisneySea is actually owned and operated by a Japanese company that has license to use Disney characters but is not owned by Disney, it is the perfect combination of Japanese cuteness crossed with Disney characters. You will find unique Disney-themed food and rides that you won’t be able to find in any other Disney park in the world. So it is worth a visit even if you aren’t traveling with children or identify as a Disney superfan. It can get pretty crowded, especially on weekends and holidays, so best to check the crowd calendars to pick a less crowded day to visit.

Visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea with Kids? See all our tips to plan your day there, from booking tickets to the best rides for toddlers and can’t miss snacks!

14. Experience TeamLab Borderless or Planets

I am sure you have seen the aesthetic photos of exhibits in TeamLab Borderless all over your social media feed. And while you may think that since you have seen the photos, you don’t need to go to the exhibit, it is still fun to experience it in person. It would be like saying you have seen photos of ice cream so you don’t need to taste it. You would be missing out.

There are two different exhibits in Tokyo, teamLAB Borderless and teamLAB Planets. If you’re trying to choose between the two, Planets is more of a sensory experience (since there are rooms where you walk through water) and Borderless is more of a visual experience (since the artwork plays on visual boundaries). You do need to book timed entrance tickets for both museums online. It is best to buy at least a month ahead as these tickets can sell out.

• Pre-book tickets to TeamLab through Klook here before they sell out!

15. Eat Local Food Specialties

I wouldn’t call myself a foodie, but I do love to eat. And there’s nothing I love more when traveling than trying local specialties. In a country like Japan that has such reverence for its food, you can bet that each city and region of Japan has a local specialty to try and they are all delicious and unique. When in Hiroshima, go for okonomiyaki. In Kanazawa, it’s gold leaf everything. When in Takayama, it’s the melt-in-your-mouth hida beef. In Osaka, it’s the takoyaki and street food. If you’re not sure what to order, you can’t go wrong with a food tour to make sure you don’t miss out on any specialties and don’t have to stress about the language barrier when ordering.