JOURNEY ACROSS JAPAN | Day 10 | I Stayed at Japan’s Most Haunted Hotel

Well guys, It’s time to introduce the next guest on our epic journey, Sharla from Sharmeleon in Japan or something - to be honest, I had barely even heard of her before this. As mandatory with any guest on my channel, each video must start with an offering of doughnuts - and so as we tuck into a well balanced breakfast of sugar and sprinkles, we discover our challenge for today, as sent in by you: Take your guest to the scariest place you can find.

Not content with my suggestion that Sharla’s presence was scary enough, we start our quest for the paranormal in Kabushima shrine, supposedly famous for having the most seagulls in the whole of Japan. However on this day there wasn't a single bloody gull. 

After considering locations such as Hakkoda mountain or Osorezan (literally ‘Fear Mountain’) - we decided it best to settle on somewhere that requires less walking, and so we set our sights on Ryokofuso Inn, considered to be the most haunted inn in the whole of Japan. Both of us have visited the inn before in the past, but both times had been with Ryotaro - so any potential horrors we may have encountered had already been bested by having to stay a night with that man.

There’s one catch however, there’s not enough room at the haunted inn. It’s like a Blair Witch Nativity.

With not enough space for our crew, we decided it best to film with just the two of us - and so accompanied by my most precious and valuable partner, my camera, we set out to hunt some ghosts.

You can’t hunt ghosts on an empty stomach, so we decide the best course of action upon arriving at the Inn is to enjoy the delicious Kaiseki dinner… to help with the challenge of course. For this particular dinner we were served up fresh sashimi. succulent pork shabu shabu, and a plethora of other smaller dishes. Of particular note however was Iwate’s juicy and crisp apples - but this time they BATTERED them as Tempura. Why don’t more prefectures take their famous foods and batter them? Brilliant.

People come from all over Japan hoping to have the experience of meeting the spirit at Ryokufuso, known as a ‘Zashiki Warashi’ in Japan - a ghost of a young child said to bring those who look upon it good luck.

Guests, hoping to entice the spirit into rearing its ghostly head even bring toys and snacks they think the spirit would enjoy and offer them up to the shrine located near the lobby.

Our hunt for the ghost started out slow, with nay a poltergeist nor phantom to be seen out in the shrine outside of the inn.

That was until an insane gust of wind swept through the grounds almost sweeping Sharla and I into another prefecture.

Taking shelter back in the hotel from the ridiculous wind, we walk the hallways looking for apparitions.

When I had previously visited with Ryotaro we were perplexed when a toy bird simply toppled from the cabinet, all on its own. It was an unnerving moment which I’m still unable to fully explain, almost as unnerving as staying in a hotel with Ryotaro.

While Sharla and I find little in the way of phantasms, we come across two other guests who explain that the videos they have taken on their phone have mysterious orbs of light suddenly move across the screen.

Conclusive proof of the boy’s ghostly being or simply some dust on the lens? You decide.

According to the visitor book, there are numerous incidents where guests experience something otherworldly. Handwritten entries describing unsettling events where folks experience a feeling like someone is sitting on their chest.

Looking back though we have had a pretty odd day.

No seagulls in a town known for having them in the thousands. An unexplained and violent breeze conjured from seemingly nowhere at the exact moment we mentioned the spirit of the boy. A ghostly apparition caught on camera by two ladies. And probably the most mysterious of all, proper nights sleep.

If you ever find yourself in Iwate, Ryokufuso offers a unique experience and an atmosphere you’ll never forget. You’ll also be likely to meet other guests in the hallway and most of them will be living.

While you may not find the ghost boy, you’re sure to find a great little memory that many who visit Japan will never think of doing.

Hope you folks enjoy the episode, which will be going up any moment now!

Chris