NIIGATA, Mar 12 (News On Japan) –
An deserted hospital in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, has grow to be a well-liked vacation spot for ghost hunters, inflicting concern amongst native residents. The former Himekawa Hospital, which closed in 2007 as a result of monetary struggles, has been vandalized, with damaged home windows, graffiti, and frequent trespassing.
Footprints within the snow lead as much as the hospital’s entrance—regardless of nobody formally being inside.
“It feels like a haunted house, and I can’t take it anymore,” stated Haruo Arai, former head of the Ono district. “Apparently, it’s even featured in videos of haunted locations across Japan.”
Overgrown vegetation covers the constructing’s partitions, whereas shattered glass and graffiti litter the premises. The entrance doorways are damaged, and inexplicably, a fireplace extinguisher hangs from the blinds in one of many home windows.
The website is only a three-minute stroll from JR Himekawa Station, with National Route 148 operating instantly in entrance of it. It was in-built 1987 with native funding however struggled financially as a result of a scarcity of docs. Burdened with greater than 2 billion yen in debt, it shut down in 2007.
More than 15 years after its closure, the deserted hospital has grow to be a supply of misery for native residents. The construction has been repeatedly vandalized, with damaged home windows, scattered furnishings, and in depth graffiti. Footprints recommend that trespassers often enter the premises.
“Whether there are ‘No Trespassing’ signs or not, people just go in as they please,” a neighborhood resident stated. “Sometimes, we hear glass shattering at two or three in the morning.”
Videos uploaded to social media beneath the identify “Himekawa Hospital” present footage from contained in the constructing, typically labeling it “Japan’s scariest haunted spot.”
The situation goes past mere trespassing. In 2021, a fireplace broke out on the website, prompting a significant emergency response.
“Crime is getting worse here. Honestly, we just want the hospital torn down,” a resident stated. “Everyone around here feels the same way.”
However, the hospital’s huge land is split amongst a number of house owners, and the company that when managed the power has successfully dissolved. This has left residents looking for motion from town.
“The city says it can’t intervene because it’s private property,” Arai defined.
When requested about plans for demolition or repurposing, the Itoigawa metropolis authorities responded: “The city does not own the land or building, so we are unable to take action. We have no plans to repurpose the former Himekawa Hospital.” Instead, authorities have elevated police patrols and assisted landowners in putting in protecting fencing to discourage trespassers.
According to legal professional Sho Kyorai of Hashimoto Law Office, trespassers may face authorized penalties.
“Even if a building is abandoned, entering despite warning signs could be considered unlawful entry. If no clear property manager is found, violators may be prosecuted under minor offense laws,” Kyorai stated.
Source: FNN