Usually I write a full-blown article when revisiting a location, sometimes weeks or years later. I did that in the past with *Sekigahara Menard Land* and *Sekigahara Menard Land Revisited*, *Exploland* and *Expoland Revisited* and of course *Doggy Land* and *Doggy Land Revisited* – and I already know that there will be more articles like that in the future. When I revisited the *Kasagi Hotel* almost two years after I fully explored it, the whole thing ended quickly; hence just a short update with a couple of photos. I wasn’t even able to take a video…
Revisiting the Kasagi Hotel was to round off a day of explorations with two friends from England, Adam and Klara. The sun was already setting when we arrived by car, so we hurried towards the entrance… only to find the barricade completely reconstructed. And that wasn’t all: The thing was plastered with warning signs! Not only did they warn you that the place was secured by cameras now (usually a hoax…), but they also announced that 16 people have been arrested by the police at the Kasagi Hotel on October 10th 2011! And that’s… unusual. You get “No trespassing!” and “Call the police when you see something suspicious!” signs everywhere, but announcements of arrests I had only seen on the internet to keep people from exploring the abandoned German themed park Glucks Kingdom (or Glücks-Königreich, kingdom of fortune, as the name really was…).
Like I said, the sun was already setting anyway, so we just had a quick look from the street along the hotel. I’m sure there would have been ways to get in, but since we were running out of time and cameras / silent alarms were a possibility, we decided not to risk getting caught and called it a day. 16 people arrested… Jeebus, that’s quite a number for such a rundown place! Cute drawing though…
Abandoned Kansai 
Wow. 16 people arrested would certainly be a deterrant. Fresh sign postings are never a good thing. Too bad. Hopefully you’ll get another chance. It’s fun to revisit and see how things have changed since the last time you were there. I know where I live Akron, OH USA- These types of places are being torn down at a rapid pace and everything is fenced in with new fencing. Mostly because property owners are afraid of insurance liability. REcently two urban explorers died when they were on the roof of an abandoned factory and the roof collapsed. Oh well. That’s the way it goes sometimes. keep up the great work. Looking forward to your next post.
Thanks a lot! And thanks for your continuous support, it’s much appreciated!
I am extremely cautious when exploring abandoned places – if I am not 100% that a staircase or roof is safe I don’t go there. I’m sure I missed quite a few spectacular photo opportunities over time, but I also avoided plenty of scratches, broken bones and probably death…
Wow. Arrested..You could have had a whole new take on taking photos from a jail cell for wordpress bloggers…lol
I had my share of unpleasant experiences, believe me. And taking photos is the last thing you think about in those situations… But I can say that I’ve never been arrested by the police.
Thats good to hear! Now try to stay out of trouble…But please keep taking these crazy photos..I love them..haha
As soon as the weather is nicer I’ll be on the road again. Till then I’ll dig up more stuff from the unpublished Abandoned Kansai archives… 🙂
You have a fascinating hobby! I am from Japan (& living in UK now), and I remember more than a few forgottn buildings like that. And about Japanese doctors and hospitals, I agree with you entirely…
Thanks a lot! There are actually quite a few abandoned places in the UK if you wanna try urban exploration yourself. I guess it’s a bit more dangerous there though – more security, more homeless people, more drug users. Japan is very safe in general, as you know.
And thanks for the confirmation on Japanese doctors! As a foreigner my opinions are often dismissed, criticism from natives usually is taken more seriously.
Nulle Bastardo Carborundum.
What an unusual experience, I always thought Japan was so populated that empty building or lots were non-existent. I’ve really enjoyed learning about Japan through your blog. It’s changed a lot of my perceptions! What made you chose Japan over other countries?
Thanks a lot for your kind words!
I studied Japanese History at university and I needed to learn Japanese – so I ended up moving to Japan…
In bigger cities there are barely any abandoned buildings or vacant lots, but the countryside is full of them. I think statistically every 5th building in Japan is abandoned – lots of ghost towns, lots of run-down smaller cities. Most of those buildings are completely uninteresting (like former shops and shacks), so I try to find and write about the more special ones.