Meguro Parasitological Museum

Why would anyone want to go and look at tapeworms?

It’s the question I’m asking myself as I walk up to the entrance of this museum in Tokyo.

It’s not any old museum – no history, artwork, demonstrations, or cultural artefacts. This is a museum of parasites: the Meguro Parasitological Museum, to be exact.

As I walk in, I again ask myself the question – why would anyone want to go and look at the tapeworms? Because it seems a lot of people do! The museum is packed and I have to squeeze my way inside.

Now, to put things in perspective, this is not a very big place. There are two levels but neither would be much larger than a double garage.

But still – there are dozens of Japanese people here acting as though it’s perfectly normal to spend their Saturday afternoon surrounded by jars of dead parasites!

It proudly declares itself to be the world’s first parasitological museum… but I’m not really sure if that’s much of a boast. It’s kind of like bragging you’re the world’s first rabies theme park – of course, you are because nobody else would come up with it!

But a Japanese man named Satoru Kamegai did come up with the idea for this museum in 1953 and it’s been going ever since.

It’s part of a bigger research organisation that has many more specimens than are on display (more than 45,000 in total!). The current building has been used for exhibitions since 1993.

There are scores of jars that glow an eerie blue and inside are all sorts of weird-looking things you’re glad are not inside you. Worms, crabs, bugs, and things with forms I don’t recognise.

Once upon a time, they were all living off someone like us. Most of them look so small and non-threatening so it’s scary to read about the effects these things can have on humans.

It’s also quite scary to read about how some of them have no effect on humans… they just live inside and go about their business. That’s pretty creepy too, if you ask me.

The centrepiece of the Meguro Parasitological Museum is the tapeworm which measures 8.8 metres in length. It is proudly displayed in a special frame on the wall… although it’s slightly disappointing to see it wound around rather than in a straight line.

I’m not sure the room would even be long enough for it to be displayed straight. Luckily there’s a handy 8.8 metre-long bit of ribbon you can play with to get a sense of how big the tapeworm is.

The people here seem fascinated. Little exclamations of shock or revulsion escape their lips.

There are families, young couples, groups of friends. Perhaps they’re from out of town and thought this would be an odd Tokyo experience, perhaps they live here and have never been before, or perhaps they’re just big fans of parasites.

Personally, I wouldn’t say it is really worth the trip. Most of the information is in Japanese only, which makes it difficult. But even so, it’s a relatively small collection that doesn’t take long to see.

And anyway, do you really want to remind yourself that these things exist and are constantly trying to find their way inside you?

Visit the Meguro Parasitological Museum

It’s very easy to visit the Meguro Parasitological Museum, but I wanted to share some tips to help you plan.

The easiest way to get there by public transport is to catch the train or subway to Meguro station and walk from there (about ten minutes).

Or, if you’ve got some spare time, it’s also quite a nice 45-minute walk from Shibuya station to the museum, via the Kyu Asakura House, which is a beautiful sight to visit.

(This historic house is one of the things I recommend in my three-day itinerary for visiting Tokyo.)

There is no cost to visit the museum. There’s an opportunity to leave a donation but there’s no pressure to do that.

The average time for a visit is about 30 minutes or less. Although there are information signs, they’re mostly in Japanese, so you may find you don’t spend too much time reading.

The museum has some pretty standard rules – no eating or drinking, no touching the exhibits (except when invited to), and no loud noises.

A few other useful bits of visitor information:

• Animals other than service dogs are not allowed.
• There is a lift for wheelchairs. A rental wheelchair and a stroller are also available.
• A wheelchair-accessible toilet (with a baby seat installed) is available on the first floor.

Photos are allowed but you’re asked not to use tripods or selfie sticks. Live video streaming is not permitted.

You can find more information on the museum’s official website.

While you’re in the area, there are a few interesting things to see around Meguro. Although there are no major sights nearby, I would recommend some of these ideas:

• Daienji Temple: A lovely little temple hidden away in a narrow street, the focus is a tall statue of Buddha surrounded by 500 small stone statues representing his followers.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum: Set within an Art Deco building that was once home to a prince, the architecture is one of the highlights, along with the temporary exhibitions hosted in the space.
• Meguro River: The eight-kilometre river goes right through Meguro and is considered to be a wonderfully scenic spot, lined by trees and with walking paths along the bank in many spots.

Speaking of the Meguro River, if you’re visiting during cherry blossom season, the stunning pinky-white flowers hang over both sides of the water, making for a beautiful (and very popular) spot for some ‘hanami’ (flower watching).

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Meguro, there are lots of trendy modern and international restaurants (that’s the vibe around here) as well as some typical Japanese ones, of course.

For a relatively simple (but incredibly delicious) meal, grab the tonkatsu set menu at Tonki.

To try the quality international options in the area, some suggestions are the affordable French restaurant Bistro Egalite, or the more formal Israeli restaurant Marcelo’s.

And for high-end Japanese (or, as they describe it, “Japanese ingredients but not Japanese”), you can’t go past the Michelin-starred Kabi (but it’s not cheap!).