Good ideas for bad-weather days!
June is a popular month for travel throughout the world, as that’s when schools in many countries break for vacation. Unfortunately, June isn’t exactly the best time to visit Japan, because it’s smack dab in the middle of the rainy season–with thunderstorms a possibility on just about any day of the month.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still things you can do in Japan during the month of June! There are plenty of indoor places worth visiting. In fact, Japan inbound-travel and sightseeing app Klook has released the results of a survey of foreign visitors who voted for their favorite indoor, rainy-day spots, and here are the top 10.
10. Tokyo Joypolis (Tokyo)
This indoor amusement park in the neighborhood of Odaiba–which has so much to do it’s like an amusement park in itself–is three floors packed with fun, including virtual reality rides, thrill rides, laser tag, a haunted attraction, and more. You could easily spend a whole rainy day here, and there’s fun for all ages, so it’s no surprise it’s become a popular stop for tourists.
9. Owl Cafe Akiba Fukuro (Tokyo)
Located in Tokyo’s otaku district, Akihabara, Owl Cafe Akiba Fukuro is one of the most popular owl cafes in Tokyo. The facility is spacious, stylish, and home to over 40 owls of many different species. It’s been ranked in the top 10 activities in Japan on TripAdvisor for five years in a row, so it’s no wonder that it was picked as one of the best rainy-day activities in Japan.
8. Kyoto Arashiyama Onsen Fu-fu no Yu (Kyoto)
Onsen are one of the best ways to spend a rainy day. What could be better than sitting in a luxurious hot spring watching the rain fall in one of Kyoto’s most beautiful neighborhoods? Fu-fu no Yu also has outdoor baths, so you can enjoy the experience of a hot bath with summer rain falling around you. It’s a popular spot for stopping by after hiking in Arashiyama, or for spending a relaxing afternoon on a rainy day.
7. Poop Museum Tokyo (Tokyo)
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Museums are the perfect way to spend a rainy day, and you’d be hard-pressed to find something more unusual than the poop museum. Rather than it being an educational exhibition on poo, it’s more of a colorful, poo-themed art exhibition, full of all kinds of fun. Truly, it’s something you have to experience for yourself, so if you find yourself visiting Tokyo on a rainy day, consider stopping by this unique place.
6. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (Okinawa)
Churaumi Aquarium is one of Okinawa’s top attractions, and with rainy days being a common occurrence on this tropical island, it’s a great last-minute alternative for outdoor plans–and somewhere you’ll want to visit anyway. The aquarium is huge and highly educational, and the highlight is their enormous tank housing whale sharks alongside other large sea creatures like manta rays, so even if it’s not raining this is a worthwhile stop on an Okinawa vacation.
5. Osaka Castle (Osaka)
Conveniently situated in central Osaka City, this castle, which was rebuilt in 1931 after being burned down numerous times, has a completely modern interior that was updated in 1997. Inside you’ll find a museum exhibiting the castle’s history as well as the life of samurai lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. There’re lots of interesting displays about samurai and samurai battles, so it’s must-see for anyone interested in Japanese history.
4. Solaniwa Onsen Osaka Bay Tower (Osaka)
This onsen theme park is Japan’s largest, with over 3,305 square meters (35,500 square feet) of Japanese gardens dotted with hot springs, foot baths, and flora that changes with the season. A lot of the baths are indoors, but there are many outdoor baths as well, and if you’re going to bathe anyway, who minds the rain? For a maximum Japan experience, you can also walk around in a yukata! We had a great time visiting there so we can totally imagine why it would be on the list.
3. Sanrio Puroland (Tokyo)
Sanrio Puroland is the amusement park for all things Sanrio, which includes international megastar Hello Kitty, Pompom Purin, Cinnamaroll, and other popular, adorable characters. Though it’s a partially outdoor amusement park, the vast majority of its most popular attractions are indoors, so it’s worth visiting even on a rainy day.
2. Warner Brothers Studio Tour Tokyo (Tokyo)
The addition of this as high as number 2 on the list is surprising because the only attraction at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Tokyo is the Making of Harry Potter exhibition. It just had its grand opening on June 15, so it wasn’t even open yet at the time of the survey, which goes to show how much excitement and interest this place has garnered among Harry Potter fans.
1. TeamLab Planets Tokyo DMM (Tokyo)
TeamLab has made a name for itself in recent years by producing really cool, interactive digital art exhibits. Team Lab Planets, their permanent exhibition in Tokyo, has become an incredibly popular attraction for Tokyo-ites and visitors alike, thanks to its incredibly cool displays and fun, playful nature. Their displays also change over time, and they even collaborated with a local ramen shop once for some very picturesque food…so even if you’ve been before, you won’t waste time by going again.
The above are the survey’s overall all-Japan rankings, but with Tokyo being the biggest destination for foreign tourists, Klook also compiled a top-10 list just for Tokyo of the survey participants’ favorite rainy-day places.
10. Micro-pig Interaction Cafe Mipig
9. Sunshine Aquarium
8. Small Worlds Tokyo
7. Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo
6. Tokyo Joypolis
5. Owl Cafe Akiba Fukuro
4. Poop Museum Tokyo
3. Sanrio Puroland
2. Warner Brothers Studio Tour Tokyo
1. Team Lab Planets Tokyo DMM
If you aren’t living in the Tokyo area, or aren’t going to make it to Tokyo on your trip, there are some alternate locations for the Tokyo spots in other parts of Japan. For example, TeamLab has aseperate permanent exhibition in Fukuoka, and does pop-up events in different parts of the country throughout the year. There are also owl cafes all over Japan, and while you can’t possibly replicate the magnanimity of the Poop Museum, there are plenty of museums around the country to explore, some of them also suitably weird.
And if you aren’t afraid to brave the rain–or if you want to go traveling in spite of the rain–here are some fabulous spots throughout Japan that are even more beautiful or interesting on rainy days!
Source PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: PR Times (except where noted)
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