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Japan's New Instagram Hotspot Is a...Poop Museum

Feb. 19, 2019
3 min read
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Japan's New Instagram Hotspot Is a...Poop Museum
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Welcome to 2019 — the year that Instagram pop-ups have fully reached their peak. At least, we hope so.

Aligning with Japan's cherry blossom season, a new pop-up museum is set to open this spring in Yokohama — a port city adjacent to Tokyo, easily accessible by bullet train. The Unko Museum, which will be open from March 15 to July 15, will offer Instagram-friendly photo ops and interactive spaces.

What is unko exactly? Well, unko in Japanese translates to poop. Yes, you read that correctly. A poop-themed pop-up. Whoever didn't think to call it a poop-up really dropped the ball.

So, are you ready to see the photos? Don't worry — it's not what you may be thinking. The poops here are colorful, covered in glitter and totally photo-worthy.

The Unko Museum will have three poop-themed zones that are sure to exceed all of your colorful crap-filled fantasies. Each zone plays on the word unko. The 'un'stagenic zone offers a photo-friendly space for guests to pose alongside giant poop swirls in a pretty Pepto-Bismol-pink room. The adorable, pastel-colored swirls truly make for an Instagram masterpiece.

There's plenty of fun to be had at this unique museum. For starters, you can dive head-first into a pile of poop. Just when you thought you had a great childhood digging through the ball pits at Chuck-E-Cheese, this generation takes it to the next level and creates a poop pit with a giant poop statue as the focal point. If you rather sit this part out, pull up a stool-shaped stool and hang back at one of the tables, which are in the shape of.. well, you get it at this point.

The 'un'teractive zone is where you'll find yourself surrounded by swirls of unko with eyeballs staring back at you. Here, you can play a lovely game of kuso (Japanese for sh*t), which involves stepping on poo-pile light projections in order to splatter them. Fun!

Don't think all this excrement excitement is just for kids. The museum encourages adults to return to their childhood to enjoy all of the installations.

The final section is the 'un'telligence zone. In this area, guests are welcomed to admire an exhibition of paintings, art and unko-themed souvenirs from around the world. If you find the work inspiring, you can even make your own painting.

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A visit to Unko Museum will not be complete without a picture with the official mascot, 'Unberuto.' Just look out for the life-sized piece of poo walking around with a toilet under his arm.

Tickets for the museum can be purchased for 1600 yen (about $14.50) for adults and 900 yen (about $8) for kids. Advanced ticket purchase is suggested.

If you have plans to visit Japan in the next few months, this museum is a must-doo doo. Even if it's not the number one stop on your list, it definitely should be number two.

So, what are you waiting for? Find out how to get to Japan on points and miles here.

h/t TimeOut Tokyo

All images by Unko Museum via its website.

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