Haikyo! Sun Park Hotel, Kiyosato

I was riding in the mountains of Yamanashi, a couple hours from Tokyo, when I came across another rad random hotel haikyo. These are the ruins of the Sun Park Hotel. Let's check it out!



If you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and climb the fire escape ladder to the 2nd floor.



Or just walk in the back. Your choice. I chose the door.





There's a nice bar in back.



I need a drink. One part grenadine, 2 parts shochu. Preferably haunted shochu.





Old timey phone!



The rule is, when you see a lone shoe, whatever thought was on your mind will come true. Am I the only one who grew up thinking that superstition?



Even though access was extremely easy, this place didn't feel safe. The floor had a strange, spongy texture to it that seems like it could cave in at any moment. And this was on the 4th floor.



The spongy texture could be due to the fact that it was actually alive.



Surely, even when the hotel was in full working order, this stairwell was still terrifying.



Poor kids, this room was full of bunks, probably meant for groups of school kids bent on visiting the Kiyosato countryside. It's famous for milk and ice cream.



How many people sat here in the dining room with a dairy treat?



Maybe Mr. Hashida himself (or herself?) sat here doing just that.



Or maybe he (she?) retired to one of the rooms. Nice touch... a pay TV and a roll of toilet paper.



There were toothbrushes EVERYWHERE.



The cafe terrace must have seemed like a nice idea at the time. It probably got hit with one winter and then rotted away.



Every haikyo seems to have something dated. This time was a bus schedule from 1989. I wonder if they heard the bubble burst all the way out here.





If you're one of the many haikyo enthusiast out there, this one is really easy to find. On route 141, just north of Kiyosato station. Or was it south. Anyways it's there. It looked like there were other haikyo in the area. Have at it people. The Kiyosato area is totally touristy too, if you are into that sort of thing.









I'm out, my next stop is an hour up the road, described as 日本のヨセミテ, the Japanese Yosemite. Rad!

Where to Watch World Cup Soccer in Tokyo

At least for the Nigeria games, why not watch with 30 or so Nigerians?



On the streets of Kabukicho.



At 2 seconds into the the halftime, their boss yelled, "Back to work!" You don't want to be the one white guy around when that happens. Unless you are looking to have sex for money. In that case, enjoy. The Nigerians know some good clubs.



Is that culturally insensitive? The truth is, if you walk around Kabukocho at night, you will be approached by a ton of Nigerians trying to get you into the clubs. Or that one old Eastern European guy. Do you know who I'm talking about? I guess he's been here for like 30 years. If you have more info about him, email me, I'm curious.

Kyushu Touring Logistics

Then, after 10 days, I waited for a ferry to Hiroshima,



took a 3 hour nap, face down in my own drool,



and drove back to Tokyo. That's the sun setting on Mt. Fuji. Ever want to see 500 people taking photos out their car window with their cell phone cameras at the same time...

Logistics

Some people like to hear numbers when it comes to travel in Japan, so here is what my 10 day motorcycle trip in Kyushu consisted of:

Gas - 37,510 yen. About 3000km just to get there and back. Someone recently told me that truck drivers in Japan can be convinced to stow your bike in the back and give you a lift. I'm now reading a book called The Japanese Negotiator.

Food - 9600 yen. I only spent about a hundred bucks. I also got treated to ramen 2 nights, breakfast when I was hiking, and a home cooked dinner with my friends in Beppu.

Camp and Ferry Fares - 16,720 yen. Campsites are usually free or 500 yen. This goes for all of Japan. I paid a bit more for the hydrofoil to Yakushima, so I could have cut off another 4000 yen.

Bike Expenses - 37,000 yen. I needed some new parts along the way, so this is a bit high. But you should tune your bike for a trip like this. Most maintenance parts are cheap and DIY, but tires are expensive!

Attractions - 2500 yen. The sheer beauty of God's earth was my attraction most of the time. Though I'm surprised the governments of some of these cities doesn't enact a "Beauty Japan" campaign that taxes people to travel in these parts of the country. It should be 2000 yen less, but I went to that lame Beppu onsen hell thing.

Tolls - 5000 yen. Luckily, highway tolls are just 1000 yen, flat rate, on weekends and holidays. Otherwise, Tokyo to Kagoshima is something like 23,000 yen.

So if I didn't have to buy new bike parts, a 10 day trip would only be about $600.

Epic Motorcycle Riding in Kyushu

The Yamanami Highway runs from Yufuin, just outside Beppu, down to volcanic Mt. Aso. You should buy a motorcycle and go here.



Sweeping curves, light traffic, and tons of nature. What's not to love?



My CouchSurfing host joined me on the back. A seasoned rider back in Vietnam, at least that's what she told me, she later said it was the first time she had ever gone faster than 100kmph.

Our first rest stop was the onsen / rich people resort of Yufuin. Yufuin was... the fuck is this?!?



A minute after white turd ice cream, came across this.



Holy shit Himari-chan, thanks for the nightmares!

Anyways, Yufuin is kind of saturated with tourist attractions, and I didn't want to stick around.



Speaking of tourist attractions, The Kokonoe "Yume" Otsurihashi Bridge 九重“夢”大つ橋 is the biggest something or other in Japan. It's only 5 bucks, so check it out if you have time. I had time.



Further south, Mt. Aso is known by Japanese people as being a spot that is famous for milk and other dairy goods. I later found out that it's famous for both riding, and eating, horses.



Sexy bike!



Imagine speeding over mountain passes, volcanic steam vents spitting into the air around you.



Eventually, you'll arrive at Mt. Aso. It's active!



The gasses are all kind of poisonous, and you might have problems if you are asthmatic.



Nice landscape. A lot of people asked me if I saw the green Aso. I guess the slopes have some vegetation for a shot time during the year. I dunno. No green today.



If the slashing light turns red... run!





My map recommended an utaseyu (うたせ湯) onsen. The tallest one in Japan. I finally figured out what it was when I went in. The falling stream of hot water gives you a massage. Nice!



If you're hungry, don't worry, maps to the rescue. Touring Mapple X Dream Burger (?).



I totally found this map to local shops that have hamburgers. Remember, this is fairly remote mountain country. There is no logical explanation.



Tasty though.



Not as tasty as ramen.



Anyways... here's my "wish you were here" shot.



By the way, this area is one of Japan's motorcycle mecca places. I had just missed a huge Harley event, which was too bad. Ask your local bike shop, if it's a major holiday, there might be something going on-