8+ Abandoned Places In Japan You Shouldn’t Miss

We visited a few shows about abandoned places in Japan at the beginning of 2019 and even participated in one about Osaka. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and met other urban explorers. People approached me and inquired, “Aha, thought you were goner?” Staying in Japan still? However, did you abandon the Haikyo?

Not all Japanese folks are overworked and busybodies. Some of them prefer to embark on journeys and visit strange places. The Japanese word for ruins, Haikyo, is often used to refer to the activity of urban exploration. They refer to themselves as “Haikyoists,” and they get a kick out of going into any abandoned building, town, place, theme park, hospital, etc.

Despite how unsettling it may sound, many hikers and explorers in Japan are becoming increasingly interested in the habit of visiting deserted locations. Numerous abandoned sites may be found all across Japan as a result of the long history of the country, which includes World War II.

To make your trip to Japan more intriguing than usual, you might choose abandoned places in Japan to see listed below.

How Do You Interpret Haikyo?

What is haikyo? This would be one of the most pressing queries I would have if I were a first-time visitor to Abandoned Kansai (or any other site about urban exploration in Japan). It seems as though the term has a highly specific meaning that can’t be defined or otherwise expressed in English, but that isn’t the case. Instead, it is always “haikyo” here and “haikyo” there. It’s simply the Japanese word for ruin (廃墟), which is made from the words “hai”-廃(for “useless, obsolete,” and “Kyo”-墟for “hill”). This phrase is often used as a synonym for both urban exploration and abandoned locations.

8 Abandoned Places In Japan – Best Great Recommend

1. Fuji-Q Highland (Yamanashi)

Popular amusement park Fuji-Q Highland is situated in Yamanashi Prefecture’s Fujiyoshida city. It is best renowned for its thrilling roller coasters, which feature unusually high speeds. But if you want more excitement, you shouldn’t miss the terrifying Labyrinth of Fear. Widely regarded as Japan’s biggest and scariest haunted house, where you can be terrified through all five senses!

You will go inside an eerie, dark hospital that, according to mythology, was once the site of torturous human experimentation. The 900 meters terrifying maze, where you will constantly be pursued by gory ghosts or terrified by terrifying screams and sounds, often takes around 50 minutes to complete.

Fuji-Q highland

Time: 10 am – 6 pm

Fuji-Q Highland entrance ticket + ¥4,000=$27.40 set (4 people), ¥3,000=$20.55(up to 3 people)

No Fuji-Q Highland entrance, ¥8,000=$54.79 (up to 4 people)

2. Hanayashiki (Tokyo)

Visit Hanayashiki, Japan’s oldest amusement park with more than 150 years of history, if you’re seeking for a spine-tingling adventure near Tokyo. Its convenient position, puts other well-known tourist destinations like Kaminarimon’s “Thunder Gate,” Sensoji Temple, and TOKYO SKYTREE nearby and within walking distance of each other.

In Hanayashiki, you can visit three different kinds of haunted attractions. The most well-known one is Sakura-no Onryou, whose backstory involves a woman who was imprisoned there as the spirit of a Sakura tree that was felled for the construction of the amusement park. You’ll come across ghosts and frightful Japanese dolls dressed in kimonos as you make your way through the dim, constricting path.

The attraction is a little less spooky but still sufficiently frightful because there are no age limitations. Another exhilarating ride that is fun for youngsters 5 and older is called Thriller Car. With headphones and the newest attraction, Ghost Mansion, you may feel fear not only visually but audibly as well!

Hanayashiki

Time: 10 am – 6 pm

Admission fee Hanayashiki ¥1,000=$6.85 + 3 ride tickets (¥300=$2.05) / ¥2,500=$17.12 for a Free Ride Pass.

3. Daiba Haunted School (Tokyo)

Daiba Haunted School, conveniently situated on the fourth floor of DECKS Tokyo Beach Seaside Mall in the Odaiba district, is another must-see haunted attraction in Tokyo. This terrifying attraction is located in an abandoned elementary school, a setting that is frequently used in Japanese horror films.

If you don’t answer the mysteries and finish the assignments to save the spirits of dead pupils who died in the school in the past, you won’t be able to leave the eerie edifice. There are versions of this attraction in Chinese, English, and Japanese.

Daiba Haunted School

Time: 11 am – 9 pm

Admission fee ¥800=$5.48

4. Ifu Musebiya (Tokyo)

Everyone can have an unforgettable, spooky experience at Ifu Musebiya. The plot of this escape room is structured as follows: It happens in a little, aging Japanese house that is for rent. You just so happen to find the house online, so you get in touch with a real estate agent to schedule a viewing. You’ll notice something odd as soon as you enter the house.

Bloody bathroom, pitch-black spaces without lighting, and eerie noises coming from the old stairs… It differs from other haunted encounters in that a peculiar murderer, not ghost, will be pursuing you. To leave the horrific house and avoid the ruthless killer, you and your pals will need to finish the assignments.

Ifu Musebiya

Time:

2 pm – 9 pm (weekdays)

11 am – 9 pm (weekends & holidays)

Admission fee ¥3,000=$20.55(adult)

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5. Greenland (Kumamoto)

Popular theme park Greenland is situated in Arao, Kumamoto Prefecture. From thrilling roller coasters for adults to family-friendly ones, they claim more than 80 different kinds of rides and attractions. In addition, it has upscale lodgings, a sizable mall, golf courses, and informal dining establishments, making it an ideal weekend getaway spot for families.

One of the five haunted attractions where spooky tales have been frequently recorded is Greenland’s Horror Tower. Whatever claims to have heard a scary female voice coming from the ancient elevator, which is no longer functional for some reason. Others claim that when climbing the stairs within the tower, they were pulled by their legs.

Greenland

Time

9.30 am – 4.30 pm (weekdays)

9.30 am – 5 pm (weekends)

Admission fee ¥5,200=$35.62 (adult, unlimited rides)

6. Joypolis (Tokyo)

In Odaiba, Tokyo, Joypolis is the biggest indoor amusement park in Japan. It draws many tourists because it’s a terrific place to take in thrilling attractions even on a wet day. The newest technology is featured in around 20 different sorts of attractions, including VR games.

A great place for groups to experience the spooky world of traditional Japanese monsters in 3D is Mystic Mansion. Try out Murder Lodge to get terrified by the spooky sounds emanating from your headphones. The best Japanese horror film is without a doubt SADAKO, also known as The Curse Psychic Manor.

Joypolis

Time

10 am – 8 pm (weekdays)

10 am – 9 pm (weekends & holidays)

Admission fee ¥4,500=$30.82(adult, admission + unlimited rides)

7. Rusutsu Resort Amusement Park (Hokkaido)

Rusutsu Resort, one of the largest and most well-known resort locations in Japan, is reachable after a two-hour bus ride from Sapporo station. It draws lots of tourists in the winter since it is a fantastic ski resort with gorgeous powder snow. Summer is the ideal season to take part in outdoor pursuits like rafting and camping while taking in the beautiful scenery of mountains covered in lush greenery.

Their amusement park has over 60 different rides and activities that are fun for people of all ages. A lesser-known but terrifying haunted house is called House of the Dead-Cursed Girl. All you can hear as you enter the pitch-black building are constant screams and the eerie voice of a cursed girl who has been imprisoned there for decades even after her death.

Rusutsu Resort Amusement Park

Time

9 am – 4.30 pm (weekdays)

9 am – 5 pm (weekends & holidays)

Admission Rusutsu ¥5,100=$34.93)– ¥5,600=$38.36(adult, season dependent)

8. Yokohama Cosmoworld (Kanagawa)

Two different sorts of horrifying haunted attractions are waiting for you at Yokohama Cosmoworld, which is situated in the center of the Yokohama Minatomirai neighborhood, to test your daring and courage. Try Shin-yureido, a terrifying maze that you may navigate while riding in a miniature vehicle, complete with eerie traditional Japanese dolls and disturbing noises.

Out of three alternatives, you can select the terrifying stage of your exhilarating ride. Another gruesome journey, Yureikan transports you to a horrific setting where Dr. Edgar discreetly performs torturous experiments on humans. Which attraction appeals to you the most? It will be a terrifying experience in either case!

Yokohama Cosmoworld

Time: 11am – 8pm

Yokohama Cosmoworld is free to enter, and a fee is charged for each attraction (Shin-yureido ¥600=$4.11, Yureikan ¥500=$3.42)

Abandoned places are not really “free”

Over the years, there may have been some viral headlines regarding “free” or inexpensive foreclosed properties in Japan.

Everyone has discussed it, even CNBC and CNN. It’s not as easy as strolling up to an abandoned home and claiming it for yourself, even if Japan’s government is seeking to lure new people with affordable or even free land.

Realistically, these houses aren’t entirely free. They have rigorous terms and conditions that should cause any prospective buyer to think twice before affixing their stamp or signature, including renovation requirements, investment requirements, and requirements for the home to be habitable.

The “Abandoned” Homes of Japan: Is Akiya Bank The Answer?

Japanese for “empty house” is akiya (空き家). The Akiya Bank Program was established to solve the visual eyesore of deteriorating “abandoned” dwellings and also eliminate the risk of falling buildings to combat depopulation in Japan’s rural districts. At first look, the appeal of buying an “empty house,” or akiya, for a pittance may seem alluring, but in fact, the Akiya Bank’s operating principles may be working against saving towns that are in danger of vanishing.

Out of Japan’s 60 million homes, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication assessed that eight million were akiya as of 2013. This equates to one in seven homes, or around 13% of the overall housing stock, being vacant.

By 2030, it’s predicted that this will increase to 30%. Although there are some akiya houses in and around Tokyo and other major cities in Japan, the majority are found in the country’s rural areas in medium-sized to tiny towns and villages.

• The Akiya Bank initiative prioritizes housing over anything else rather than jobs.
• It is less expensive to keep a house standing than to demolish it since unoccupied lots have high property taxes.
• Although a bank set up to sell foreclosed homes may seem appealing, the reality is significantly more complicated and burdensome for potential buyers.

FAQs

1. Are there abandoned cities in Japan?

They do. Similar to abandoned gold rush towns in the American West, most ghost towns in Japan are constructed around mines. Jobs disappeared and people departed when the mine seams gave out. The location was abandoned quickly.

2. Why are there so many abandoned places in Japan?

Japanese residences fell abandoned for a variety of intricate causes. The aging of the population and diminishing birthrate is the most obvious causes, but geography can also play a role.

The majority of akiya are located far from big cities where the majority of jobs are. Japan has millions of empty residences, although the rural prefectures of Kagoshima, Kochi, Tokushima, and Wakayama have the greatest number.

Since the goal of this program is to repopulate declining communities, buyers must be prepared to commit to staying in the home despite the town’s small population and limited economic possibilities.

Younger families frequently don’t want to move to a community that might not exist soon after they move in or that has no sustainable development, even if the abandoned house was in fine condition. You might have to travel for many hours to get to work in the closest metropolis, work from home, or launch your own business in your brand-new small community.

3. What are exploring abandoned buildings called?

Urban exploration, also abbreviated as UE or urbex and occasionally referred to as roof and tunnel hacking is the investigation of man-made structures, typically hidden or abandoned ruins. The hobby frequently entails invading private property and mainly emphasizes photography and historical interest/documentation. Urban exploration is also known as building hacking, mousing, urban spelunking, urban rock climbing, urban caving, or draining (a specialized type of urban exploration where storm drains or sewers are explored).

Conclusion

Are these allegedly haunted locations eerie? There’s no way to know for sure, but if you do plan to visit these locations- abandoned places in Japan, be aware that doing so could put your life in danger as well as breaking the law in some cases. Step carefully.

Check out our selection of Japanese movies to watch; the horror category may be just what you’re looking for if you enjoyed these paranormal tales and are itching for more material that will make your skin crawl.

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