Meguro Parasitological Museum

Japan’s Strangest Curation

Donny Kimball
4 min readMay 17, 2019
All sorts of parasites inside Meguro’s freaky Parasitological Museum in Tokyo

Anyone who has done a bit of digging likely already knows that Japan’s capital features an eclectic selection of museums to choose from. No matter where your interests fall, there’s something for everyone in Tokyo whether you’re a hardcore history buff or a snobby art connoisseur. Still, despite the vast array of selections, it’s hard to imagine anything that can compete with the oddity of the Meguro Parasitological Museum. This licentious facility was originally founded back in 1953 by Dr. Satoru Kamegai. Thereafter, the freakish festival was moved to its present location in Meguro in 1993. Of course, as the name suggests, this grotesque can of worms (pun very much intended) is devoted the science of parasitology. Ewww!

So, what is one to expect from Meguro’s Parasitological Museum? Well, the morbidly curious among you should know that this two-story exhibition space provides a thorough overview of all sorts of parasites. If you’re brave enough to quell your natural squeamish sensations, you’ll be greeted with over 330 well-preserved specimens to enjoy. Chief among these gross, vomit inducing exhibits is an appalling 8.8 meter long tapeworm. If that weren’t enough to turn you pistachio green in a matter of minutes, also know that the second floor emphasizes parasites that prey on human beings. Of course, the strangest…

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Donny Kimball

I'm a travel writer and freelance digital marketer who blogs about the sides of Japan that you can't find in the mainstream media. https://donnykimball.com/