Overnight in Japan’s Abandoned Onsen Village like a Ghost Town | Yunoyama Onsen

Overnight in Japan’s Abandoned Onsen Village like a Ghost Town | Yunoyama Onsen

October 21st, 2025 Now riding a limited express train from Osaka to Nagoya, Urban Liner on Kintetsu Railway In Japan, there are tons of Onsen(hot spring) resorts However, due to a declining population and a recent decline in interest in hot springs, some places are in danger of disappearing For this travel, we are going to visit one of them, Yunoyama Onsen resort located in Mie Prefecture It was really like a deserted place Take an express for about 2 hours from Osaka through the tranquil countryside areas And we arrive at Yokkaichi City The most populated city in Mie Prefecture, famous for being an industrial city Get off here and transfer for a local train bound for Yunoyama Onsen Ride for more 20 mins single track running behind houses Train to the Yunoyama Onsen resort has so few passengers that you can count them on your fingers But the resort was once one of the most popular onsen resorts in west Japan Arrived at Yunoshima Onsen Station Take a local bus from the station to central Yunoshima Onsen resort What’s surprising is that there is only me on board What on earth happened to this resort Going very deep in the mountains We got so high up the mountains The resort was difficult to visit long ago, before roads were built, due to poor accessibility The bus arrives in front of the ropeway station It’s Gozaisho Ropeway It’s fairly a long ropeway! I’ll ride it tomorrow From here, we walk a little bit more to the town But we already can see the resort We instantly notice the first ruins of a hotel The Ryokan hotel used to be the largest one in the resort (The name is “Oukasou”) It closed in the early 2000s and has been abandoned for a long time since then But in March 2022, it got suddenly destroyed in a suspicious fire (The culprit is still at large) The number of guests began to decline after 1990, due to the collapse of the bubble economy By 2010, more than 15 hotels had ceased operations From the bus stop, we walk in a creepy foresty path Reached the main street of the resort (probably) Yunoyama Onsen was first discovered in 718 and has a history of 1,300 years It is also known as “Deer Hot Spring(Shikanoyu)” due to the legend that a wounded deer was healed here “Sushi Restaurant” Surprisingly, no shop was open on this street (Because I visited on a weekday?) This house was also used to an inn? You can find a lot of vacant lots Now they are parking lots that no one uses I walked for about 10 mins and found that the natures here are very beautiful especially the river I asked Google and it told me that this river is particularly famous in the area for its clarity It must be awesome for hiking Solo hiking in this area is a bit spooky though I found some lodges you can stay in beside the river At the same time, you can find a lot of ruins It seems this building was used as a dorm for employees of Oukasou(the one destroyed in a fire) It’s now famous as a haunted house among young people But the police says, “If you trespass here, we will report you to your company and family!!” Most ruins in the area are no-entry Oukasou is completely shut down But looks like some hotel ruins are open as a haunted house tour by owners “Japan’s most haunted spot tour, 6,000 yen per person, until the end of November!” “Whatever happens is your own responsibility” Hmm, I don’t dare to join that tour but I’d like to find that hotel, Sugiya Ryokan “Pension Kinkonkan” Apparently abandoned I was just curious on that vintage vending machine Pathetic abandoned dolls beside the windows Still waiting for their owner to return… Guys, I found the Sugitani Ryokan at the top of these stairs If you’re afraid of seeing the haunted hotel, please skip until 11:44 The Ryokan has been out of business for a long time, but it is unclear when it closed (probably around late 1990s) The buildings were expanded many times, resulting in a unique building that combines Western and Japanese styles Someone had broken the window glass, and pieces of it were scattered on the road (You can’t walk in slippers) The dishes remain as they were when the Ryokan was alive The inside is like a labyrinth, and it is said once you enter, you get lost and can’t get out forever.. Of course, I don’t have the courage to enter! What makes me even scared right now is that there is no one around me Let’s get out Some hotels are still open and there are actually people living here, but it’s literally like a ghost town A building that looks like it’s about to collapse It may used to be a Japanese restaurant My father told me that I stayed at this inn, “Kuranosuke” as a family trip when I was young It’s still open but there are closed days in a week! (Today is closed) A beautiful bridge that looks like it’s been recently repainted Yes, landscapes are very beautiful here Definitely a perfect location for Onsen resort This building looks like used to be a large hotel The window frames have been removed, but it was left in the middle of being dismantled The sign says, “A state of emergency has been declared! Please refrain from unnecessary outings!”, like 2021 It’s a closed shop but there’s a TV on inside Ryokan Suimeikan (permanently closed) However A cafe on its first floor is still open for business! Cafe Suimei I finally found a local restaurant that is still running business The interior has a Ghibli movie-like atmosphere, with Ghibli music playing Looks like a former Japanese movie star Kiyoshi Atsumi has visited this restaurant Run by a local family, it offers a cozy atmosphere Their signature meal, Teppan(iron plate) Italian, 980JPY/6.86USD Napolitan Spaghetti with an omelette underneath Cute sausage in shape of an octopus I hesitate to eat this cute one Napolitan Spaghetti is just a Japanese spaghetti with ketchup and vegetables How anyone named it “Napolitan” though it has nothing to do with Napoli… The meal was just awesome and I love it so much The restaurant is now full of people somehow There are no people on the streets but this restaurant is like a different world like I entered the Spirited Away world Of course, since we are in Onsen resort, we need to stay at a Ryokan hotel Let’s try one of the surviving Ryokan hotels, Shikanoyu Hotel(Deer-Hot-Spring Hotel) Wow gorgeous Hi deer I looked into the history of this hotel on their website, but it wasn’t detailed Probably, it’s a recently renamed hotel Anyway, I feel like I can get a great stay here Got a free welcome drink, white wine Cheers to Yunoyama Onsen By the way, I booked this hotel at 30,690JPY/214.83USD including 2 meals, a solo stay My room is on 5th floor Walking the Japanese minimalistic Ryokan hallways Each room gets a name Welcome to “Fujiwara” Wow, it’s like a Japanese modern house, not a hotel This is too great for a solo stay! Sofa Television Simmons twin beds Minimalistic water dispenser The window views 2 out of 10 Massage chair, surprisingly This alone will make this hotel rated 10/10 by travelgeek Restroom Haunted Toilet experience on next level Everything is neat and tidy here like a new hotel In Ryokan, your room welcomes you with snacks I enjoyed the three unique snacks of Yunoyama Onsen area This is cinnamon-flavored mochi It is inspired by the mochi by warrior monks during the time of the samurai and Heike clans Let’s take a bath as we are in a hot spring resort You can choose either Makomo-yu(Manchurian wild rice hot spring) or Hinoki-yu(Japanese cypress hot spring) I chose Hinoki-yu as I really like the smell of Hinoki(a kind of cedar) I booked the private bath to film it It’s finally time for healing after a long day Healing like deers did 1300 years ago Hope my odor feet will be healed Any doctor around here? Bathing while feeling the cozy mountain air is the best After a bath, enjoy the mini vending machine corner which sells alcohols also Maruchan vending machine but sells Nissin Cup Noodle Dinner and breakfast meals are served in a private room (all guests) Experience the authentic Japanese Ryokan meals The pot is now making Dashi The authmn atmoshphere comes out of the plate These rice grains from the rice ears are edible All have a delicate taste by craftsmen mouth-watering Usually in Ryokan, we are served unfamiliar dishes even to the Japanese Mizusawa Beef steak time Expensive beef brand based in Mie and Iwate Prefecture This is Matsutake, the most expensive mushroom in Japan Part of the stem of Manchurian wild rice(or Indian rice) The footage of the steak being grilled will make you hungry so much Forgive me Dip in Ponzu(citrus-based soy sauce) Oh my The Dashi is now ready It’s a broth made by Matsutake mushroom and Shijimi clam I really liked this Dashi and was completely addicted with drinking it Chawanmushi(Japanese tasty pudding) Tasted like gratin as it contains cream cheese In a Ryokan course meal, rice and soup are served at the last part The miso soup contains a lot of root vegetables Had a great time After dinner, come to the desserts corner They are all free to take with soft drinks, including soft-serve Watching the birth of a new prime minister on TV This is Makomo (Manchurian wild rice hot spring) At Yunoyama Onsen, Makomoyu(hot spring) is a traditional folk remedy, praying for good health through the summer What scared me the most is the elevator The sound of a pump can be heard from below, and it feels like someone is approaching you from behind in hallways Got to the rooftop The rooftop is open 24 hours Beautiful night city lights can be seen from here When I see a night view like this, I don’t regret coming here By the way, the castel-like building on our left is a hotel named “Irodorikouyou” where you get to see amazing sunset views from a room If there were no clouds, we would be able to see the stars beautifully shining in the night sky It’s a heaven Thank you for bringing the massage chair into this world Smart 12:30AM Time to sleep Good night everyone! (Oh, but stay in the video for more 8 minutes please🙏) Good morning everyone To master Ryokan, you need to get a bigger stomach Seaweed miso soup Intaking a lot of fibers Mostly, vegetables What a healthy morning Steamed salmon, scallops, ham and vegetables and Natto Nori seaweed, Natoo, Umeboshi(salted plum) are the best trio for rice like Mission Impossible I like it It’s raining a bit Hope the ropeway will keep running Okay, let’s check out It’s a Tanuki (Japanese raccoon) Looks too real, maybe a specimen? Handsome Finally, time to take the Gozaisho Ropeway 2161 m/7089.89 ft long ropeway Connects to the summit of Mt. Gozaisho, the main peak of the Suzuka Mountains I encountered a traditinal handmade snack stand beside the station Ooishiyaki (Soft rice cracker with sesame and Japanese pepper leaves), 180JPY/1.26USD Check this traditional Yunoyama Onsen sweet that has been around since before the Meiji era (1868 – 1912) Enjoy the 15 min sky travel above the Onsen village (2,600JPY/18.2USD for a round-trip) In the autumn foliage season, the trees turn red and will creat a spectacular sight here Surrounded by great Suzuka mountains In my opinion, Gozaisho Ropeway is one of the greatest ropeways in Japan, though it’s not so popular yet This white pillar is 60 m/196.85 ft above ground and is the tallest ropeway pillar in Japan Don’t look down as it’s very scary If a strong wind blew and the ropeway shook, I would be so scared that I would die haha Breathtaking views of the mountains covered in the mist Torii gate to the clouds Here is a Fuji-viewing rock If you are able to see the Mt. Fuji from here, you are a lucky person Now let’s find it I feel like I can see Mt. Fuji, but it’s probably just my imagination Take a single lift and move to the top of Mt. Gozaisho It’s a bit raining but I don’t care I can almost touch the ground Imagine the red trees in autumn In winter, you can ski on these slopes Hmm, there is only me riding this lift Where are human beings by the way Reached the top of Mt. Gozaisho at 1211 m/3973.09 ft altitude I somehow feel like a monk training on top of a mountain like the world of Dragon Balls Thank you for watching the video, always Let’s do Rock, Scissors, Paper 1 2 3 Rock See you in the next travel!

Today, we are visiting Yunoyama Onsen(hot spring) resort located in Komono Town, Mie Prefecture, Japan, like a deserted place. Just relax and enjoy the video!

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