Museum · Meguro

Meguro Parasitological Museum 目黒寄生虫館

The world's only museum dedicated to parasites, about 300 pickled specimens including an 8.8-metre tapeworm, free, tiny and a cult favourite for date-night weirdness.

About

Founded in 1953 by a local doctor, this two-floor research museum on Meguro-dori is equal parts educational and stomach-turning. The ground floor explains the diversity of parasites and their life cycles, with jars of specimens taken from fish, whales, dogs and humans; upstairs, the star exhibit is an 8.8-metre broad tapeworm extracted from a man who had eaten trout, displayed alongside a length of rope so you can feel just how long it is. Other jars hold a dolphin's stomach riddled with worms and a dog's heart packed with heartworm. Labels are mostly in Japanese with some English. It is free, takes 30 minutes, and has a surprisingly good shop selling parasite T-shirts and tapeworm keychains.

Highlights

• 8.8 m tapeworm with a matching rope you can hold
• Jars of parasites from fish, whales and humans
• Dog heart filled with heartworm
• Cult-favourite parasite T-shirts and keychains in the gift shop
• Free entry to a genuine research institute

Tips

• Free, but donations are welcome, buying a T-shirt supports the research.
• Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
• It is a 15-minute walk downhill from Meguro Station West Exit, or take any bus to Otori-jinja-mae.
• Avoid lunch immediately before, seriously.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

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