This Deserted Hotel Was Once The Height Of Luxury, But Now Its Crumbling Remains Are All That’s Left

You stand in the overgrown courtyard, a sea of green trying to sink a dilapidated giant. In this case, the toppling titan is Japan’s Hachijo Royal Hotel which once stood tall and strong. Now it’s like looking at an empty shell. But perhaps inside you’ll find clues to its sudden abandonment ‒ if you dare look for them.

Emerald mass

As you prowl in the hotel’s shadow, it’s clear that no one inhabits the husk it’s become. Trees and shrubs envelop the lower floors in an emerald mass and fight fiercely to reclaim the road approaching its entrance. Plants are even forcing their way through the concrete blacktop as if warning you to turn back.

Abandoned vehicles

You discover traces of the people who lived and worked here once. Nature reclaimed the abandoned vehicles that they left to rust in the elements. It makes you wonder once more what went on here. What circumstances made the former inhabitants leave their transport — and the hotel — far behind them?

Curiosity killed the cat

The thought fills you with such trepidation you hesitate at the hotel doors. What are you going to find inside? They say that curiosity killed the cat, but most forget the second verse. It’s satisfaction that brought it back. So you take a deep breath and prepare to step inside.

Crumbling husk

The Hachijo Royal Hotel is a crumbling ruin now, but back in its heyday it was glorious to behold. It had to be, because in the ’60s Japanese tourism was far more limited than travel in other parts of the world. At the time the government restricted how far abroad its citizens could go.