It is the world`s only parasite museum.

Its centerpiece is a 8.8 meter tapeworm. Selected from a collection of thousands, three hundred or so specimens dot the two stories of Meguro`s Parasite Museum - in Tokyo, next to the Otori-Jinga shrine. The second story includes an interactive world map: press a button for a specific disease, and it will light up wherever the disease is present. There are many, many lights.

The museum was founded in 1953 from the private funds of general practitioner, Satoru Kamegai - and with parasites from his private collection. Born in 1909, the doctor was still finding parsites up until his death in 2002. He found, and exhibited, some rare parasites he found in the body of a coelacanth - when he was 92.

The museum is free - and they`ve had some financial trouble - but they do have a gift shop. T-shirts are availale, as well as some keyrings with tiny, encased parasites.

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