An urban explorer has uncovered a forgotten Japanese love hotel that has remained untouched for over two decades near Nagoya in southern Japan. Luke Bradburn, 29, from Bury, Greater Manchester, stumbled upon the four-storey building in Aichi Prefecture after spotting images on social media. The hotel, which closed in the early 2000s due to dwindling business, still contains themed rooms with spaceship-style beds, clam-shaped baths, and even a boxing ring.
Bradburn, who was documenting the Fukushima exclusion zone, said the hotel was difficult to find due to its rural location. He used Google Maps to pinpoint the site and was amazed by its preservation. 'Walking in was so strange, seeing it completely preserved,' he said. 'They even still had all the menus up for when people would arrive and choose their themed room.'
The hotel's closure was attributed to an ageing local population, which led to fewer young customers. Bradburn noted that the building had 'faded into the background' over time. Inside, he found sex toys left undisturbed for decades, as well as bondage apparatus with a red star, which he described as 'very Soviet Union'. The rooms still feature beds, baths, and jacuzzis.
Love hotels, which offer short-stay private rooms for couples, peaked in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s but still exist in Japan today. Bradburn estimated the abandoned hotel contained up to 30 rooms. 'I wasn't even expecting there to be that much left of everything,' he said. 'It was fascinating to see some of the arrangements left behind.'
