Kokokei
Kokokei-ku, Tajimi-shi
Map:
(Kokokei Station) https://goo.gl/maps/GRBwkyMyk8z
(Kokokei House) https://goo.gl/maps/smbpuiyUSck
(Kokokei Station) https://goo.gl/maps/GRBwkyMyk8z
(Kokokei House) https://goo.gl/maps/smbpuiyUSck
Developed in response to a tourist boom in the 1950's, Kokokei is a station situated in a valley with dottings of hotels, restaurants, and spas. Kokokei is most known for its nature walks, colourful autumn foliage, and string of old railway tunnels.
It was a thriving area of scenic beauty, but when the tourist bubble popped, many of the local business owners met bankruptcy and ruin. In current times, Kokokei is a graveyard of decrepit buildings and abandoned tunnels.
One such building, known as Kokokei House, is said to be dangerously haunted by malevolent spirits which died in tragic accidents on the property.
Although Kokokei House was once a very successful ryoukan inn, there are rumours visitors suddenly ceased staying at the property after a deadly food poisoning incident and a gas explosion which killed a number of people (although, according to local residents these rumours are false, and the business lost its success due to the natural slowing of tourist stream to the area). Upon the business' failure, the owner is said to have commit suicide (this is also contested, with suggestions the owner left the area safely despite reports of a corpse being found on the property).
It is believed the owner's moans and the cries of those who died in the supposed gas explosion can still be heard when visiting the property.
There are speculations the land of the property had always been a notorious haunted area, with reported sightings of a ghostly woman from the Edo period who died under the circumstances of tragic heartbreak. Psychics have claimed the ghostly woman is gathering other spirits to the property.
Taxi drivers are said to avoid the area at night, claiming spirits of women can be seen wandering the roads and peeking from windows of abandoned buildings, and orbs often appear in photographs.