"Chilling" at the parasite museum in Tokyo.

This is the world's only museum dedicated to parasites. Although located quite far from the city center, the museum has become a popular attraction for tourists who want to explore the unusual.

Established in 1953 by Dr. Satoru Kamegai, the Meguro Parasitology Museum aims to introduce the public to the diversity of parasite species and their life cycles. The museum's research library houses over 60,000 parasite species – including 300 on display – as well as 50,000 research papers and 6,000 books on parasitology.

The ground floor of the museum mainly features maps, showing regions of the world and the parasites found there. There are also glass display cases on the ground floor showcasing some of the parasites that feed on animals.

The second floor is dedicated to parasites in the human body. There are many photographs of humans as hosts to parasites, with their body parts deformed and blistered due to the parasites' destructive effects.

However, the actual specimens are even more horrifying than the photos; some exhibits even display parasites emerging from their animal hosts.

The most remarkable exhibit on display is a giant tapeworm. At 8.8 meters long, it is the world's longest tapeworm and is displayed alongside a rope of similar length so that visitors can appreciate its enormous size.

Additionally, the museum shop located inside the museum sells books about parasites and products made by the museum itself. Admission to the museum is free, so if you're interested, be sure to stop by.

Quoc Hung