Built in 1929, the Ikaho Kanko Hotel must have been quite a place to stay in its day. Situated in a popular hot spring resort, the cultural heritage listed structure was originally designed to cater for the region’s foreign visitors. A surprising concept, especially so in those days, and one that took a rather ironic twist, as the hotel became an official recreation facility for the US occupation forces after World War Two. Fast forward to 2017, however, and all those factors seem more akin to another reality, rather than merely another era.
Like other hot spring areas that have seen better days, Ikaho is dotted with abandoned structures, and in an all too familiar story, the hotel simply couldn’t attract the number of paying customers it needed. So, at the end of May, 2007, it closed — exactly ten years ago to the day when these photos were taken. A decade that has exacted a very heavy toll on the building, with the climate already making some serious inroads.
But like so many abandoned places, whether they be villages, clinics, or even post offices, it’s the lack of sound that is often the most striking. Where once there were people and all manner of noises, there is now only silence. A key element that the remaining photographs hopefully convey.
Harry says
Nice set. I do enjoy exploring these buildings vicariously through your photos! 🙂 Was it easy to enter?
Lee says
Cheers! I do the same thing myself with photos that other people take. Seen lots of places I’d dearly like to explore.
Yeah, very easy. We simply walked in through the open main entrance.
Denton says
Very cool background story. Kinda sad it’s ended like this…. huge fan of the last shot. Perfect framing! 🙂
Lee says
Isn’t it? I was very surprised when I read about it. And yeah, a very sad way for a building with such an interesting past to end its days…
Thanks. My favorite too. That one room made it for me. It had a really nice vibe about it.
cdilla says
Another quality collection of haikyo photographs. Do you bring any of your own lighting on these visits or do you work entirely with the natural light?
There is so much to look at and come back to in this set, but items that caught my eye on first viewing were the pen holder on the left of the cluttered office – so ordinary, so odd to see untouched for a decade, the 5 1/4 inch floppies on the floor of the “computer room” – closed in 2007? their IT department must have shut up shop in 1997, and the karaoke machine in the middle of the entertainment room somehow demanding an audience.
I have to agree with Denton that the comfy chairs photograph is the most aesthetically pleasing – how many quiet conversations and peaceful moments must have been had there.
Lee says
Cheers.
Nah, but it’s something that I should probably think about. I’ll always use natural light if possible, but the bar area was almost in complete darkness, so had to utilise the torch on an iPhone. A far from ideal way of doing things.
There are a lot of little details, aren’t there? I too noticed those mammoth floppy disks. It’d be nice to think they weren’t using them, but Japan is still an ardent lover of the fax machine, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if those beasts were still being used til the end.
Likewise. Really liked that room. Great feel to it. And yeah, who knows how many people have sat there and enjoyed the ambience…
Martin B says
Those pink bar stools make my eyes hurt, looks like the place hadn’t been re-decorated since the 1960s.
Lee says
I know eh? That’s pretty much the problem with most of the abandoned hotels I’ve visited. A vicious circle I guess. Money is needed to refurbish, but a lack of guests mean the money isn’t available…
Z says
Love your photography as usual. You ever thought about doing videos of the haikyo you find?
Lee says
Thank you.
Nah, not really. The only device I have that shoots video is my iPhone, and with a lot of haikyo being pretty dark, I’m not sure what the results would be.