Japan Scavenger Hunt

Go Find Something Interesting

Author: David R Munson

Photographer, essayist, educator, wanderer, weirdo. Of American origin, but a permanent transplant to Japan, having arrived in 2015 with little more than an overly vague plan that has yet to be followed.

Carts Full of Toddlers

An illustration from Irasutoya showing a childcare worker pushing three small children in a wheeled cart

Mode of Observation: Sight, Sound Description: Nursery schools in Japan commonly take the kids to nearby public parks. Some of the kids walk, typically holding hands with one another, but the smaller kids often ride in wheeled carts. It’s all very cute. No photos for this one, for reasons of privacy, but once again Irasutoya […]

Coin Lockers

Photograph showing coin lockers and control panel at Tokyo's Hanzomon Station

Mode of Observation: Sight Description: Especially in larger cities, and especially in or near train stations, you can find coin lockers meant for temporary storage of luggage and other personal items. At stations in more rural areas, or in areas with higher security requirements, they may be absent or more difficult to find. You may […]

Public Telephones

Mode of Observation: Sight Description: Though not as many as there used to be, there are still many more payphones and phone booths in Japan than you would probably expect. You will find them in and near stations, on residential streets, in parks, etc. Though most people now have mobile phones, not everyone does, and […]