Some years ago we were staying in the delightful mountain town of Takayama in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, just for a couple of nights. Usually our budget limitations mean that we stay in cheap business hotels, but we always try for a couple of nights in traditional Japanese style accommodation. Our beautiful ryokan had a suite of tatami mat rooms, inside which we lounged around in yukata (cotton kimono), used the o-furo (bath, fed by hot springs in this instance) and were served the most exquisite food. It’s a gorgeous place to stay.
On the other side of the road to this oasis of calm and refinement, however, we discovered the madness that was Horror House: Crazy Killer.
We’d grown up with ghost trains at funfairs in the UK and, to be honest, they are a bit rubbish. You sit in a rickety cart and are wheeled around a short track inside a tiny shack and various unconvincing props occasionally swing out at you with the aim of making you jump. Japanese horror houses are far superior: they are like a ghost train but without the train and comprise multiple rooms which you walk around. The difference is that there is usually an actor or two inside, ready to jump out at you, all with the aim of scaring the bejesus out of anyone who enters. We had been inside Japanese horror houses before, so we kinda knew what to expect from Crazy Killer.
Some years previously we visited the Toei Studios Movie Theme Park in Kyoto, home of samurai soap operas and big monsters, which made for a great afternoon’s entertainment, especially as we adore Japanese cinema. There are all sorts of activities, from exploring movie sets to viewing the history of the studio, as well as meeting kaiju (monsters) and enjoying a spectacular ninja show.
The studio has a horror house, inside which were a number of rooms to explore. Several denizens, dressed in various scary costumes lurked within, all ready to chase us around the room or jump out at us. The most disturbing of these was actually a lone actor, dressed in ghostly attire, who was just sitting in a corner of the room, whimpering.
Takayama’s Horror House: Crazy Killer had just one. Crazy Killer, that is. Once we paid our modest fee and entered the attraction, the building contained the usual blend of gruesome exhibits and shock tactics such as doors slamming loudly behind you, or a claustrophobic room where a light switches on and you jump at your own reflection in a mirror.
And, of course, Crazy Killer was lurking there. He first revealed himself when we passed by an array of gory severed heads which were clearly models – until we reached the last one, whereupon Crazy Killer leapt out, making us jump, and we immediately scarpered, simultaneously screaming and laughing. Crazy Killer retreated back into his dastardly domain and we tentatively continued our way around, largely in the dark, all nervous energy and adrenaline, waiting for the next time he was ready to jump out at us. Which he did on several occasions. When we finally saw the exit we could hear that he was close behind us and advancing rapidly… so we ran!
We laughed our way around and when we emerged, unscathed, at the exit, the proprietor asked us if we’d like to go in to have our photo taken with the killer. Of course we did! So she radioed him and we met up inside, whereupon he handed us a plastic machete and a severed head. Great! Apparently most visitors pose demurely alongside Crazy Killer.
The proprietor explained that it was okay, we were from England. Crazy Killer was delighted to meet us. So we all had a nice chat about the British royal family in our best Japanese (which was quite a challenge) and then we went back to the ryokan for a night of decadence and a delicious dinner.
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How terrifying!! Great info though!
It was terrifying – but also loads of fun!
We absolutely LOVE Japan! The way they name things in English is always so fun, ie: “Horror House: Crazy Killer.” We’ve both been individually (Stephen’s had 5 tours of Japan as a drummer over the past several years, and Andie spent about a month there when she was little), and we’ve also visited together in 2017. That was the closest we came to being there on Halloween, as we arrived on 11/1 in the early morning. Shibuya Station was quite the scene, with so many people just wrapping up their Halloween festivities from the night before, lol! We’d love to check out something like Horror House: Crazy Killer for a better taste of Halloween, Japan-style!
Japan is our favourite place in the world and we have been lucky to visit a number of times – we love it too! The Horror House was both scary and silly and we had a great laugh in there.
We can’t wait to visit Tokyo and Kyoto in particular. That hotel sounds very nice, but we would love to visit that amusement park and haunted/horror attraction. We just went to a haunted attraction here and it was fun.
Thank you! We definitely recommend at least some time staying in traditional accommodation in Japan. Do hope you get to visit. And, yes, haunted houses are so much fun!
I spent 10 days in Japan a couple of years ago touring but never saw these sites – I missed something quite unique. These would scare me too much to enter but I get the fun of it, especially as you see the Japanese version of horror.
I think we really got lucky with the horror house – we happened to be in the right place at the right time. The Toei theme park has a permanent attraction. They are scary but in a fun kind of way. Thanks so much for your comment!
This looks like a whole lot of fun. I’m totally game for this kind of experience.
It’s both silly and scary… and so much fun!
I love this. It sounds like so much fun! It cracks me up that at the end they invited you back in to take a picture with “Crazy Killer!” Also, that food at the ryokan looks amazing.
It was both scary and hilarious. Meeting Crazy Killer was the icing on the cake!
lol that’s fun but terrifying. That meal looks amazing.
This honestly looks and sounds like so much fun! I love anything that has to do with horror and I feel like I’d definitely get a kick out of this.
Oh, if you love horror, this is a must-do. It’s so much fun – silly and scary!
What fun! … but not for me as a solo traveller. I can’t handle it alone. I’ll wait until I can go in with a friend!
A group of us did a similar thing in London and hammed it up for the photo. The photographers enjoyed our antics so much we each got a set of 10 different poses free — so they could use it. The best one is proudly framed on my wall.
Happy Hallowe’en!
Lyn | http://www.ramblynjazz.com
Happy Hallowe’en to you too! Your London experience sounds like fun – we feel that hamming up the photos is an essential part of the experience.
We did a horror 3D experience in Japan and it was super creepy, but this sounds more fun in a horror-loving way! I’m a big horror fan so I would absolutely love this and getting a photo with the crazy killer!
If you’re into horror, this is a must-do activity! Meeting Crazy Killer was the icing on the cake. The 3D experience in Japan sounds like fun as well.
I think this Crazy Killer foray ended up almost as crazy laughter. I would probably be laughing myself from the whole experience after some few screams. I like the thought of staying in a traditional ryokan and I could probably be tempted to dress in a kimono while getting about and around the neighborhood. This spooky travel made me also think of an anime called Dark Gathering for some reason. You guys probably heard of it. Anyway, Happy Halloween to you both #flyingbaguette
Jan – https://flyingbaguette.com/
It really was an experience that was equally scary and fun. You’re right about it being reminiscent of Dark Gathering! The ryokan was a complete contrast to the horror house – so relaxing and refined. And a happy Halloween to you!
Oh god, this is something I would not enjoy at all, deep respect to you guys who dared to do this! And also to see the fun side of this, I would be deeply traumatised 😀 I was deeply disturbed as a teenager when watching The Ring, the Japanese can take horror to a whole new level.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
I think this is the sort of thing that you either love or hate – there’s no sitting on the fence with Crazy Killer. The Ring is a brilliant film and genuinely one of the scariest horror films we’d seen. I think we’d have run a mile if Crazy Killer had turned out to be Sadako!!
Haha, this would be a big NOPE for me, sorry guys. As much fun as you make it look I’m a bit old wuss when it comes to scary things. Also from the UK and agree about the lame ghost trains etc. Now I’m in Canada they go a little bit more all out – spooky corn mazes, trains haunted houses etc, but they’re not on my list. Japan outside of horror houses I’ll gladly entertain though
That’s the thing about Japan – there’s such a variety of things to do, so even though Crazy Killer isn’t for you, there are plenty of wonderful things to enjoy. The ryokan was a complete contrast to the horror house!
I would never have thought of visiting a horror house in Japan! 🙂 this is an activity that is off the beaten track.
In Portugal, like the UK, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, we also had these horror houses and trains, with dubious origins ahahah
It seems to me that it could be quite a fun activity, at least for those who aren’t faint of heart 🙂
It is most definitely a fun activity if you are into horror houses and being scared! Interesting that Portuguese ghost houses and trains are similar to those in the UK.