Hachijo Royal Hotel: An Abandoned Japanese Island Resort
Hachijo Royal Hotel/FacebookThe ruins of the Hachijo Royal Hotel in Japan.
Built in 1963 during Japan’s postwar economic boom, the Hachijo Royal Hotel was designed to capitalize on local tourism, billing itself as the “Hawaii of Japan” and advertising Hachijojima Island’s warm weather and “exotic” appeal. It was also one of the largest hotels in Japan at the time.
The Hachijo Royal Hotel complex featured a grand lobby, spacious guest rooms, a ballroom, and various recreational activities aimed at attracting local Japanese tourists seeking an island paradise. And throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the concept was appealing to many who were drawn to the island’s warm climate, black volcanic sands, and picturesque landscapes.
Countless wedding parties, business retreats, and family vacations found their way to the Hachijo Royal Hotel, where guests could enjoy modern Japanese hospitality in a relatively isolated, yet still accessible setting.
Hachijo Royal Hotel/FacebookThe abandoned Hachijo Royal Hotel, pictured from a distance.
Unfortunately, this didn’t last forever.
Hachijojima Island may have been sold as the “Hawaii of Japan,” but as international travel became gradually more common and airfare became more affordable, many Japanese tourists began to set their eyes on further destinations like the actual Hawaiian islands, Guam, and various locations in Southeast Asia — places that were considered far more “exotic” than Hachijojima. Plus, getting to the Hachijo Royal Hotel was sometimes seen as inconvenient due to the ferry ride required to get there.
By 2006, the Hachijo Royal Hotel could no longer sustain its operations. Years of declining occupancy forced it to close its doors for good.
The abandoned hotel does still receive visitors, just not ones who pay. Its architecture remains beautiful, and as nature has reclaimed it over the years, it has become one of Japan’s most photographed “haikyo,” or ruins.
