S P O T ／ SPOT-157

Shihokaku — Abandoned Public Inn at Sakakibara Onsen

紫峰閣（榊原温泉廃国民宿舎）しほうかく（さかきばらおんせんはいこくみんしゅくしゃ）

An abandoned former public inn (kokumin shukusha) standing along the Sakakibara River in Hamada, Sakakibara-cho, Tsu City. Its predecessor 'Seiansho' opened as a quiet retreat annex of the long-established Shin'yu-kan ryokan in the Sakakibara Onsen district; the building was later renovated into 'Kokumin Shukusha Shihokaku.' The inn once won a Prime Minister's Award for koi carp breeding, and the koi-rearing channels still remain on the grounds. It closed roughly a decade ago due to the owner's failing health, and the operating company is recorded as having undergone bankruptcy proceedings at the Tsu District Court. Today the building is widely known among ruin-photography enthusiasts for its signature composition: the abandoned hotel framed against a vermilion bridge across the Sakakibara River. Bizarre Japan does not permit any entry onto the site; this entry is published strictly for external viewing from the adjacent public road (near the 'Sakakibara Onsen Resort Walking Course — Yu-gori (Ritual Bathing) Pilgrimage Relaxation Point 2' interpretive sign).