This in-depth video investigates the dramatic decline of Katayamazu Onsen (片山津温泉), a once-bustling hot spring resort town located in Ishikawa Prefecture’s Kaga region. At its peak, Katayamazu Onsen attracted up to 1.5 million visitors each year, serving as a prime destination for both group and company trips, with flourishing hotels and vibrant nightlife. Today, the lakeside landscape is marked by the haunting shells of massive abandoned ryokans and hotels, providing visible evidence of the town’s lost prosperity.

The video covers several of Katayamazu Onsen’s most prominent abandoned ryokans, such as Hotel Hokuriku Koganoi (ホテル北陸古賀乃井), Kaga Yashio (加賀八汐), Kaga Kanko Hotel (加賀観光ホテル), Kaga Members Hotel (加賀メンバーズホテル), and Seki-ya (せきや), among others. The presenter explores these sites up-close to reveal their present condition while offering commentary on the wider state of the town. Beyond physical decay, the video delves into the darker history behind Katayamazu’s collapse, focusing on the former connections between the local entertainment district and Japan’s underworld. For years, the onsen town’s prosperity was closely tied to a vibrant soapland district and connections with organized crime—a fact that contributed to both its popularity and eventual fall, especially following the tightening of regulations and anti-organized crime laws.

This video serves as both a documentary and a travelogue, blending urban exploration with a social history of Japanese hot spring towns. For viewers interested in lesser-known aspects of Japanese culture and the reasons behind the vanishing of regional tourist sites, the story of Katayamazu Onsen sheds light on the economic, legal, and social shifts impacting Japan’s regional travel industry. The presenter also highlights the current atmosphere of Katayamazu as of early summer 2025—showing what remains, what’s lost, and what lessons travelers can draw from similar destinations across rural Japan.

Katayamazu Onsen is part of the Kaga Onsen area, renowned for its historic baths and once-luxurious accommodations near Lake Shibayama. While the local tourism association now manages visitor inquiries (including regulations regarding drone flights), the region remains a compelling site for those interested in modern ruins, urban decline, and authentic regional histories.