As Halloween approaches once more, thrill-seekers looking for spooky activities in Japan have driven up online searches for “ghost train rides” by 180%, travel company JR Pass has found. So in the spirit of the season, their experts have put together a daring to-do list of the country’s most “haunted”, or at least haunting, train stations.
1. Doai Station – Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture
The deepest train station in the country, remote Doai Station is surrounded by mountains and dense forests, giving it a mysterious feel. Nearby Mount Tanigawa is notorious for its treacherous trails, having claimed four times as many lives as Everest since the 1930s. Some believe the spirits of lost hikers linger in the area, forever searching for their way home.
JR Pass recommends visiting the station, which sits 70 metres down via 486 steps, during off-peak hours to get the full creepy effect and, if you’re feeling brave, you can even spend the night, by “glamping” in Doai Village.
2. Shinjuku Station – Tokyo
Tokyo’s early 20th century Shinjuku Station is one of the world’s busiest stations, but late at night the crowds thin out and, some visitors say, mysterious lights and ghostly sobbing can be seen and heard from the eastern hill of Toyama Park, once used as a military burial ground.
3. Kawaguchiko Station – Yamanashi Prefecture
You might come here to see Mount Fuji, but stay until twilight and, JR Pass says, the landscape glows eerily on the walk between the station and Aokigahara forest, a woodland “often associated with ghostly encounters”.
4. Kokudō Station – Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kokudō Station dates back to 1930 but now that its businesses are closed up, it is a magnet for “urban explorers and ghost hunters alike.” Featuring World War II-era bullet holes and nostalgic, peeling signage and graffiti, a dimly lit concourse reveals former shops and eateries, once bustling, now empty and disconcerting.
5. JR Inari Station – Kyoto
This station brings you face to face with “the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine”, where thousands of bright red torii gates said to protect the domain from wicked forces, form tunnels and arch over mountain trails. Are you brave enough to visit after sunset? Bamboo fronds and statues of foxes give a feeling of movement among the shadowy lantern-lit gateways.
6. Kintetsu Nara Station – Nara Prefecture
Nara Station is steeped in the history of warfare, says JR Pass, and is the arrival point for visitors coming to discover the city’s “rich cultural heritage and ancient temples” as well as the sacred deers of Nara Park, considered “messengers of the gods.” Fans of the unnerving could make future plans to stay in the former Nara Prison, once a model jail where a central watchtower loomed over inmates. The architectural gem is currently being reincarnated as a unique hotel experience.
Reminding us why Japan is such a Halloween-worthy destination, Haroun Khan at JR Pass said, “What makes this season extra special is the atmosphere that Halloween brings; there are so many ghost stories and local folklore tales to look into. If you’re looking to explore beyond the typical tourist spots, Japan’s train stations have a rich history worth checking out. From the eerie silence of Doai Station to the ghostly legends surrounding Shinjuku, these spots offer a unique and thrilling way to experience Japan’s supernatural side. It truly is unlike any other place in the world.”
