Sloping elevator transports you to a magical world in the sky. 

Elevators are known for moving vertically, but sometimes you can come across rare “inclined” varieties, known as “shakou elevators” in Japanese. However, in a nature-filled area in a quiet pocket of Yamanashi Prefecture, you’ll find an even rarer “chou kyodai na shakou” elevator, which translates as “super huge inclined elevator“.

Why is there such a large contraption in the middle of nowhere in Japan? And where does it even connect to? In order to find the answers to these questions, we made the roughly one-hour journey on the Chuo Line from Shinjuku to Shiotsu Station in Uenohara City to find out.

Stepping out at the station, we could immediately see the modern construction making a neat path up the nearby slope, giving it a slightly overgrown, dystopian look.

▼ From up close, the sight is quite breathtaking.

The station building connects directly to the elevator, so as soon as you climb the stairs from the platform and cross the overhead walkway…

…you’ll find yourself inside the so-called “Commore Bridge“, which houses a massive escalator, a massive set of stairs, and the special elevator.

Marked by blue doors, the elevator looks like any other you might see around Japan.

The diagonal arrows, however, suggest a different style of movement, and that sensation heightens when the doors open to reveal…

▼ …there are no floors, only metre markings, presented in a sloping display above the doors.


The display lights up to show your upward progress, but chances are your eyes will be drawn towards the views out the window instead, which are mesmerising.

The ride is surprisingly smooth, with almost no vibration, making it feel like you’re gliding up the mountain. At 200 metres (656 feet) in length, this is one of Japan’s biggest inclined elevators, with the ride to the top taking roughly four minutes.

When you arrive at the top, the doors open to reveal something remarkable.

Here, at a place of elevation around 100 metres higher than Shiotsu Station, is a residential area, split into four neighbourhoods.

▼ This map view shows how the location sits above the main areas of town, tucked away like a hidden city in a magical forest.

The location is so unusual that it’s said to have been the inspiration for the opening scenes in Studio Ghibli’s animated feature film Spirited Away. The opening scenes depict a family of three — main character Chihiro and her parents — driving up a steep slope to an elevated residential community, on a road that mysteriously narrows and takes them into a densely forested area, where the magic begins.

Stepping out to explore the real-world residential district that inspired the scenes in the animated film is a captivating experience. This town, built high in the sky, is dubbed the “sky township” or “Japan’s Machu Picchu”, and it really does feel worlds away from the busy streets below, with an air that smells crisp and clean.

Walking the outer perimeter, which is around three kilometres (1.9 miles), takes about 30 minutes, and the site area is about 80 hectares (198 hectares), which is about 17 times the size of Tokyo Dome.

▼ The vibe is lovely and calm, and the views make you feel like you really are living in the sky.

It’s amazing to think that the entire purpose of the super-long inclined elevator is to act as a linking passage that connects this mountaintop residential area, known as Commore Shiotsu, with the ground level.

While exploring the unusual location, we found some interesting sites that we’d like to recommend. Firstly, right in front of the elevator boarding area is Commore Plaza, a shopping centre with a local supermarket and a 100-yen (US$0.65) shop. Unfortunately, photography wasn’t allowed inside, but it was quite lively when we visited.

Here, we picked up a bottle of local Yamanashi sauce called “Bimisan“, which is said to be a household staple in the area. It cost 200 yen, which was surprisingly cheap.


Next, in the northeastern part of town is Ayame Farm, a direct sales site where you can buy fresh local vegetables at cheap prices.

Among our top finds here were Yamanashi’s Shine Muscat grapes, sold at the bargain price of 1,500 yen for two kilograms (4.4 pounds).

The store caters to local shoppers and, judging by the number plates in the parking lot, visitors from other prefectures as well.

If you visit in autumn, you might be able to stuff a bag with as many persimmons as you can for just 500 yen.

▼ We also came across a delicious-looking bakery nearby, but unfortunately it wasn’t open on the day we were there.

On the west side of town is a stylish cafe called LiLy’s Taiwan Shop.

We ordered a Taiwanese tofu pudding for 300 yen and daikon mochi for 350 yen.

The fluffy texture of the mochi was addictive and the Taiwanese tofu pudding was insanely good, with a gentle sweetness that melted in the mouth. Everything was so tasty that we decided to order a Taiwanese sticky rice dumpling for 600 yen, which turned out to be equally delicious.

The dumpling contained plenty of boiled peanuts and tender kakuni (braised pork), with a seasoning that was sweet, salty and incredibly moreish.


It was a pleasure to stumble upon such a high quality cafe, and we found ourselves vowing to return one day as we made our way back to the elevator entrance.

▼ The downhill journey on the elevator was remarkably thrilling, like a theme park ride.

After returning to ground level, we realised what a vital role the elevator plays in the local community.

The super-long elevator may be enjoyable to ride but it’s more than just a fun attraction. As an indispensable means of transportation for local residents, the elevator acts as a bridge between the town in the sky and the world beneath it, which, if you think about it, is similar to the way the tunnel serves to connect the protagonist between the mundane and the fantastical in Spirited Away. Commore Shiotsu is a magical real-world anime setting that few people know about, and a hidden gem of a residential area where anything can happen.

Site information
Commore Bridge / コモアブリッジ
Address: Yamanashi-ken, Uenohara-shi, Shiotsu 1912
山梨県上野原市四方津1912
Open: 5:15 a.m. – 1:15 a.m.
Website

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