You can check out a Maid Cafe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay_restaurant

Go to a theme restaurant. I had a few friends go to alcatraz http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyofooddrinks/388/tokyofooddrinksinc.htm

Not totally wild, but still fun: go to the fish or produce wholesale markets.

...hard to not find something unusual in Tokyo..here are a few suggestions:
1. go to Akihabara, the electronics area. Some of the buildings have a labyrinth of corridors with small stalls selling everything from high end stereo components to piles of obsolete electronic parts.
2. spend a night in a “love hotel”. Who doesn’t love a rotating heart shaped bed with a mirrored ceiling?
3. go to a Cosplay store in Harajuku, look for a place called Mandrake.
4. find a punk rock or ska club. The Japanese take their love of punk verrry seriously!
4. I second the Tsukiji Fish Market. The earlier the better, beautiful chaos!
5. do what I did, go down any and all small streets and you’ll find some odd store of cafe.

have fun!

Go to the world’s only parasite museum!

Walk around Shinjuku alone at night, stop at every weird looking place. Talk to strangers. Imbibe. Strangers will become stranger still. You’ll get lost… and find yourself.

Here are a dozen:

1. Visit the Meguro Museum of Parasitology in Naka-Meguro. Where else can you see ticks the size of a pillow or a 50 foot-long tape worm? http://kiseichu.org/english.aspx

2. Visit Mandarake, a store (actually a chain of stores) with every anime or manga-related thing ever made, including some amazing vintage action figures. Go to the one in Shibuya; it’s down 3 flights of stairs in a cavernous basement. http://www.mandarake.co.jp/en/shop/sby.html

3. Visit a neko cafe (cat cafe). I know, most Americans have access to cats for free, but there’s something about hanging out with super-expensive Japanese cats in a quiet environment that’s special. There are about a dozen of them in Tokyo; Curl Up Cafe is particularly nice. Just remember, you have to be on your best behavior; the owners are very keen to keep the environment safe and peaceful for all. http://www.bento.com/rev/2951.html

4. Get a foot massage from a “French maid” at Melty Cure near Akihabara Station. (Please make sure your feet are clean and good-smelling and your pedicure is presentable first). http://melcure.jp/

There’s lots to do on the recently created island in Tokyo Bay called Odaiba. Ride the Yurikamome robotic train from Shimbashi Station, across the Rainbow Bridge to the Odaiba Kaihin Kōen Station, get off and walk into the giant mall called “Decks Tokyo Beach”. While you’re there,

5. Visit Sega’s Joypolis virtual amusement park (virtual roller-coasters, etc.) Who knew that sitting in a seat could be so exciting? How exciting? One guy DIED on it a few years ago. Really. We were there just after it happened. It’s a blast! http://sega.jp/joypolis/tokyo/home_e.shtml

6. Just across the plaza, within the Decks complex and on its fourth floor, is something called the Ichome Shoutengai, or “Nostalgia Mall”, which is set up to look like it might be the 1950s. Dozens of shops and restaurants, all with old-fashioned stuff for sale, etc. Very immersive environment.

7. Walk north, back to the Yurikamome station, cross the station and head east along the walkway which crosses the expressway. The next big complex you see will be Palette Town and Venus Fort. Palette Town has an IMMENSE Ferris wheel, including some cabs that are transparent 0_o if you’re not afraid of heights.

8. In the Palette Town complex is Toyota’s futuristic showroom with a track that you can drive one of their new microcars on. Just next door in the Venus Fort complex is Tokyo’s “History Garage”, which has dozens of perfectly restored vintage cars in period settings and a fantastic bookstore on all things vehicular.

9. Venus Fort itself is like something from Las Vegas but, since it’s Tokyo, instead of fat Americans wearing shorts and t-shirts, it’s a mall geared towards women, so it’s full of hot women. The whole thing is supposed to look like you’re walking the streets of Venice, with a “sky” overhead that changes color (and even has moving clouds) throughout the day.

10. Down on the lowest level of Venus Fort, visit the pet store and their impossibly cute and impossibly expensive kittens and puppies. Who knew that a kitten could cost $2,000?!

11. While you’re in the Decks complex, visit “Puppy the World” down on the street level, where you can rent a super-cute little dog by the hour! http://www.puppytheworld.com/

12. In Odaba, visit Oedo Onsen Monogatari, an onsen (public hot springs bath), but much more. At most onsen, it’s just places to bathe. OOM has an Edo-period reproduction town indoors, with shops and restaurants all in an old Edo theme, period performers and amazing indoor and outdoor hot springs (co-ed and single-sex). Gaijin-friendly. It’s a little pricey but a great way to spend an evening. Ride the Yurikamome to the Telecom Center Station. http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/

Enjoy!

A couple of things that were out of the norm for this American:

1.Pachinko Parlor’s – They’re a common sight in Tokyo (at least they were in 2000). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko. You could drop a few bucks and win yourself a cheap garish toy while playing pachinko in an obnoxious, bright, loud environment.

2.Public Bathing – Japan is all about the Bath! Wear your Birthday-Suit to a Sento (public bath) or an Onsen (spa/ hotsprings). http://www.sakura-house.com/tips/living/sento/sento.htm

3.Shinkansen (Bullet Train) – Ride the Shinkansen somewhere. We took it to Hiroshima which was an incredible experience. I’m not sure if it still holds true, but tourists used to be able to get train passes cheaper than residents.

4.Hakone – Hakone is an absolutely beautiful mountain town about an hour outside of Tokyo (I believe we took a bus there from Tokyo). We rode a Pirate/riverboat-looking ship across the small lake in Hakone while we viewed Mt. Fuji in the distance (the boat ride was probably all of 15 minutes and was just overall an odd experience). If you go to Hakone, you have to eat the “black eggs.” http://www.greggman.com/japan/hakone/hakone.htm

5.Dried Squid, Hot Nuts, and Japanese Beer—I was absolutely shocked that I enjoyed the heck out of this popular snack combination.

Earthquake safety museum in Ikebukuro… you can feel a Magnitude 7 Earthquake.
http://www.sunnypages.jp/travel_guide/tokyo_leisure/one_day_experience/Ikebukuro+Earthquake+Museum/1848

1. Go to Sunshine City in Ikebukuro & check out the GYOZA MUSEUM in Namja Town http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namco_Namja_Town.

2. Walk around to Koenji. Shop at the many used record and vintage clothing stores during the day, then check out one of the many livehouses. Saturday is a good day to go. Shows usually start bewteen 4pm-6:30pm.

3. Pull an all-nighter in Kabukicho and get a taste of the Tokyo Underground.