SHIOBARA GRAND HOTEL [JP]

Exploration #288 Shiobara Grand Takinoyu Hotel. Shiobara Grand Takinoyu Hotel is a former hot-spring hotel in Shiobara, Japan. Once part of the town’s long spa tradition, the large complex later closed and remained standing as one of the area’s most visible abandoned hotels.

Shiobara has developed around its hot springs for centuries, and the hotel belonged to the modern phase of that tourism economy. Its scale is deceptive from the street: photographs show a much larger complex extending behind the main façade, with several levels built into the slope. Little reliable information survives about its opening date or final years. A 2017 photographic record already described the building as disused and noted that it appeared to have been abandoned for some time. Period accommodation listings indicate that the hotel once operated as a substantial resort, with rooms overlooking the Shiobara area and rates of around ¥15,000 per night.

I found the hotel completely by chance while walking through the town. Its size and silent windows immediately stood out among the active buildings around it. What began as an ordinary walk became an unexpected exploration of a place that still reflects the rise and decline of Japan’s large hot-spring hotels.