GUEST HAIKYO – Sun Park Hotel

Recently I was chatting to a few other haikyoists about re-featuring some of their explores on this site. The first to agree with it was Brian McDuckston, of Japan Bash and Ramen Adventures. On Japan Bash Brian explores Japan on his motorcycle, and occasionally discovers haikyo first-hand. I owe my coverage of the Hotel Royal to Brian (here’s his post, here’s my post), who spied it in passing from his bike. His site Ramen Adventures has been featured on Japanese TV and in the New York Times!

We’ll start with Brian’s discovery of the Sun Park Hotel in Yamanashi. You can find Brian’s full post on the Sun Park Hotel here– I’ve excerpted about half of it below. With that, I’ll let Brian take over.

I was riding in the mountains of Yamanashi, a couple hours from Tokyo, when I came across another rad random hotel haikyo. These are the ruins of the Sun Park Hotel. Let’s check it out!

If you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and climb the fire escape ladder to the 2nd floor.

Or just walk in the back. Your choice. I chose the door.

Main hall.

There’s a nice bar in back.

The rule is, when you see a lone shoe, whatever thought was on your mind will come true. Am I the only one who grew up thinking that superstition?

Even though access was extremely easy, this place didn’t feel safe. The floor had a strange, spongy texture to it that seems like it could cave in at any moment. And this was on the 4th floor. There was peeling wallpaper everywhere.

There were toothbrushes EVERYWHERE.

The cafe terrace must have seemed like a nice idea at the time. It probably got hit with one winter and then rotted away.

Restaurant view of the woods.

To find out more about Brian McDuckston’s haikyo adventures go to his Japan Bash site, or read up on ramen on his Ramen Adventures site. Thanks Brian!

See more of MJG’s Japanese ruins (haikyo) in the galleries:

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You can also see a curation of world ruins in the ruins gallery.