Tokyo/Kyoto - Unusual Attractions

Hello. I will be visiting Tokyo and Kyoto and was curious if anyone could suggest some odd or unusual sites/attractions to visit. I recently came across the Atlas Obscura website that lists quite a few. Has anyone visited any of these places? Can they recommend any listed or not listed to explore? Thank you!

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/tokyo-japan/places

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/kyoto-japan/places

The places on the Tokyo list are semi goff the beaten track g while strangely the majority of the Kyoto places are very much in every tourists gmust do listh

My off the beaten track recommendations would be
- parasite museum in Meguro (could be combined with a visit to the large park of the Institute for Nature studies)
- Shibamata
- somei sakura onsen
Obviously there are thousands of other off the beaten track places. If you go to Gotokuji as suggested in the link, donft skip the shrine just over the train line (Setagaya Hachimangu) and there are even old remains of Setagaya castle very closeby. (Only a few stones remain)

In Kyoto my off the beaten track would be
- Ohara
Jonangu shrine (and garden)

Again also in Kyoto there are many more off the beaten track places.

There are dozens and dozens of places listed, especially on the first link. Many of the places are not really unusual or weird at all. I've been to some of them, but to make things easier, I suggest you name some of the places that interest you, and then it will be easier to narrow things down.

Considering your handle, I would recommend some light climbings in Kyoto.

Daimonji mountain

https://yamap.com/mountains/8146

Shuugakuin-Mt. Hiei-Sakamoto

https://yamap.com/model-courses/19114

Note that there is no toilet in the mountain. There are some around Ginkakuji and top of Hieizan though.

Actually, the ones listed for Tokyo are all major spots, too, that are popular mainly among tourists, domestic and foreign, but not so much among residents like me.

But the Yanaka Cemetery and its surroundings was one area that a domestic tourist friend once insisted on going together, and it turned out I loved it. And as LikeBike suggested, the Parasite Museum also is popular among residents. I thought it was fun too, and I highly recommend the Institute for Nature Studies if the weather is nice enough.

Another thing I can recommend for those hoping to go off the beaten path is the Megurin bus, which is like a mixture of a regular local bus and a mini tour bus. I guess some would call it an "amenity bus". Anyone is free to board them for the small fee, so you will also see residents on the bus. There are similar buses in almost every city in Japan now, but the Megurin route is probably among the most extensive.
https://www.city.taito.lg.jp/kenchiku/kotsu/megurin/index.html

I didnft look at your lists, but it sounds like you arenft looking for goff the beaten pathh things as much as things that are just plain weird. I will say, in Japan you really donft have to go out of your way to see things that make you smile, roll your eyes, or just marvel at how gdifferenth they are. Just take your time getting around to wherever you happen to be going, and keep your eyes open. I think so many tourists rush around trying to get to all the gtop tenh sites that they miss a lot of rather worthwhile sights.

One thing that I will suggest, not because itfs weird but because it is marvelous and quite possibly the most overlooked site in Kyoto, is to spend some time wandering all around the upper levels of Kyoto Station and admiring the architecture and the use of public space. There are little gardens there, and sculpture, and an amazing set of escalators. The views of the trains and of Kyoto itself are fascinating. And recently I discovered that on a clear day, from the top level of the station you can see Osaka! I had no ideac If you can manage to get up there early in the day, before the stores open even, there are hardly any people there, and there are a lot of details worth admiring (or photographing).

Yogen-in Temple in Kyoto might meet your needs. The temple was built with parts of Fushimi Momoyama Castle, which was the site of a bloody battle. Because of this, on the ceiling of the temple, you can see the outlines of bodies and body parts in blood from seppuku.

The temple is also known for its historic painting of an elephant.