Eerie photographs have captured an abandoned former luxury resort in Japan’s northern region of Ishikawa. The images depict the remnants of what was a five-star 1000-room hotel, which now sits in neglect. The site, which is known as Kaga No Sato — or the Hachijo Royal, first opened in 1987 as a religious-themed amusement park.
According to The Sun, it drew thousands of visitors every year before it was torn down in 2005. Tourists and locals used to attend the bustling attraction to view its golden pagoda. The temple halls of the property were also a major draw for people at the multi-million pound resort.
Captivating pictures show one of the hotel’s lobbies strewn with tattered wooden furniture, a keyboard – and even a rusting Cadillac. Elsewhere, large empty rooms showcase broken windows, a selection of different carpets, and worn curtains.
Dilapidated buildings on the site contain overgrown plants and scattered old cars. The former resort now lies in ruins with its huge gold Buddha statue defiantly standing proud as a reminder of the long-lost luxury resort in what is known as Raken Hall. Some other areas of the property have faired well and look strangely well preserved.
Content creator Luke Bradburn visited the area in 2024 after initially heading nearby to see Fukushima. The 28-year-old from Bury visited the former hot-springs resort and spent six hours exploring it as he documented his journey through its cluster of buildings.
Luke said: “It was like walking into a ghost town. There were abandoned cars on the streets, and while you could drive through the area, every building around you was just left to rot. When we stepped inside, the contrast was mad.
“From the outside, it’s all overgrown and decaying, but inside some of the rooms were pristine – like no one had touched them in decades.”
The photographs show the demise of the property over the last two decades and demonstrate how nature has moved back into the man-made structures. However, some rooms appear hauntingly untouched with wooden hangers still dangling in wardrobes and bed sheets folded neatly, depicting a scene that looks like someone has just recently left.
As per The Sun, another online commentator said: “I’ve never seen anything like this. This is a surreal place. The decay of the ceiling, all of the statues in a row. This is something in a dream.”
