Includes a room where you can adjust its “scare factor” and one that lets you speak with the deceased.
Japan may not celebrate Halloween the way the Western world does, but the country has a penchant for outfitting hotel rooms with spooky props to give visitors a good scare.
And as a recent guest house opening in Kyoto shows, this year is no different. Called the Mysterious Lodging, the building houses 11 themed rooms each costing 7,500 yen (US$70) per night, each large enough to fit up to two people.
This place has a much wider variety than just scary rooms though…
▼ …but perhaps we should begin there anyway,
with the Room of Horrors.
On the wall of the Horror Room is a dial that adjusts the level of uncanny occurrences produced, starting from the “off” position where nothing happens and all the way to “3” where even the bravest of souls would think twice about staying. The real fun begins after 7 p.m., however, as that is when maximum-level scariness begins.
▼ Say hi to that creepy hand poking out from the ceiling.
▼ Here’s a sample of the unspeakable horrors in there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evna_lfNLxs
▼ Moving on from the scary room is the Room of Plenty,
where numerous buttons line its walls.
Hitting the switches produces different sounds, allowing customers to experiment and combine different elements to enjoy a delightful auditory playground.
▼ Rock to the beats and satisfy your inner DJ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiYLN3jvBNM
▼ But if you have a friend or a loved one staying with you,
the Room of Gifting would be perfect.
Visitors are asked to record up to four heartfelt voice messages into a mic, and they can be anything from thanking their partners for their company to celebrating an everlasting friendship. At the press of a button, these messages will be played throughout the room and accompanied by soothing music.
▼ Your true thoughts packaged into four buttons.
▼ The Room of Scenery projects more than 20 surreal videos onto its windows.
▼ Using an iPad, visitors can simulate heavy rain…
▼ …or something more sinister.
▼ And if you fancy an evening of clean fun,
the Room of Board Games would do the trick.
▼ Bring them down to the cafe and have a blast with others.
▼ Work out those muscles by wall climbing at the Room of Regeneration.
▼ Go all out with dumbbells and push-up bars.
▼ Cute Japanese miniature figures can be found scattered around the Room of Wellness.
▼ May its fuzzy clouds carry your worries away.
▼ The Spinning Room lets you converse with a digital display using retro telephones.
▼ And if you are feeling particularly adventurous, the Room of Possession
lets you commune with the spirit of fabled samurai Sakamoto Ryoma.
Visitors must bow to the little shrine and summon Ryoma by calling out his name. Various questions can then be directed to him, to which the spirit answers with knocks on the wall: two knocks for a yes, and three for a no.
▼ Mind your manners here, lest you incur the wrath of this noble entity.
▼ The Room of Fairy Tales offers a similar experience,
but with folklore hero Momotaro.
▼ “May I have a kibidango?”
▼ Last but not least is the Room of Games…
▼ …where customers can enjoy tabletop games popular in Japan,
like shogi, hanafuda or even UNO.
Located on the first floor and accessible to all is the curiously-named Cafe That Occasionally Moves, offering a modest range of refreshments and local delicacies. But like everything else in Mysterious Lodging, this cozy little space is far from ordinary: “ordering” music from a list causes various elements in the room to automatically move on their own.
▼ Yes, the toilet signs actually dance along with the music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WyiBHFErMY
Advanced reservation is required and can be done through their official website here.
Whether you love a good scare or prefer to spend some time talking to a folklore hero, the Mysterious Lodging has something for everyone. And at 7,500 yen per night, it’s an absolute steal of a deal. That’s not even factoring its close proximity to Kyoto Station and interesting locales like a machiya-style Hard Rock Cafe yet. So if you are planning to be in Kyoto any time soon, be sure to give this place a try!
Store Information
Mysterious Lodging / 不思議な宿
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Shimogyo-ku, Hashizume-cho 128
京都府京都市下京区橋詰町128
Source: Mysterious Lodging via IT Media
Images: Mysterious Lodging
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