Japanese haunted houses have their own league. Created by well-known artists, with exciting missions and deep lore, they could be the scariest haunted houses you will ever experience.
Fun fact: While Western countries tend to celebrate Halloween in October, summer is the season of spook in Japan. Japanese people visit haunted houses when it’s hot outside for fun, though the haunted houses are open all year for locals and tourists.
We recommend three popular and tourist-friendly haunted houses: Labyrinth of Fear at Fuji-Q Highland, Escape from the Haunted Manor by Real Escape Game in Asakusa, and Onryou Zashiki at Tokyo Dome City.
Here are some tips, information, and all you need to know if you want to have fun and get spooked in one of these Japanese haunted houses.
Labyrinth of Fear in Fuji-Q Highland
Image Source: Pop J Neo
Labyrinth of Fear is known as the longest haunted house in the world, estimated to take 50 minutes to escape the terror of the haunted hospital. It’s part of Fuji-Q Highland amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, where you can also ride several world-record roller coasters.
Not only the largest, but it is also considered the scariest haunted hospital, created by the famous Japanese haunted house producer, Gomi Hirofumi. The building is a 900-meter maze to explore. The hospital was originally known for conducting unethical experiments on patients, led by a mad doctor.
As visitors explore deeper into the maze, the myth starts to feel real, and the scares intensify as you near the end. There are no missions or objectives upon entering the haunted hospital, making it friendly for foreign tourists.
Image Source: Kiji.Life
📍 Location
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Operation Hours: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Admission Fee: 4,000 yen with a 1-day pass, 8,000 yen without. Each price covers up to 4 people per group.
🎟️ Get Fuji-Q Highland Tickets!
⚠️ Tips & Cautions:
- There are several escape doors if you’re too scared to continue, as it’s long and only gets scarier.
- Some actors play ghosts inside the hospital and might chase you at certain points, but they won’t actually grab or catch you.
- You won’t get lost in the maze, as the directions are clear.
- The line is long, so expect to wait 1-2 hours to enter the haunted hospital.
Onryou Zashiki at Tokyo Dome City
Image Source: Murayama
Onryou Zashiki (Tatami Room of Apparitions) is another Japanese haunted house created by Gomi Hirofumi. Similar to his other works, it incorporates deep horror lore into the experience. Located in Tokyo Dome City, the haunted house combines traditional folklore with modern digital visual effects. The story varies over time, but it typically revolves around domestic horror, where a woman is murdered and becomes a vengeful spirit.
The narration inside the haunted house is available in multiple languages, including Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.
Unlike the Labyrinth of Fear, Onryou Zashiki lasts for about 15 minutes. This shorter duration is perhaps the only downside, but despite that, it offers a compelling production that feels almost like a “video game” experience. The haunted house features impressive digital effects and jump scares that are both captivating and terrifying.
It’s more of a story-driven, exploration-based haunted house, but visitors are given one mission to complete. While you can leave even if you don’t finish the mission, according to the story, the vengeful spirit will continue to haunt you.
Image Source: Alternative Hakudo
📍 Location
Operation Hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm (Monday – Thursday), 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (Friday – Sunday)
Admission Fee: 1,050 yen per person, with a group size of up to 4 people.
⚠️ Tips & Cautions:
- Seizure Warning: The haunted house contains flashing lights, digital effects, and other intense visual stimuli that may trigger epileptic seizures in certain individuals.
- While we’re unsure if there are any actors present, some of the mannequins look very realistic. However, there’s no need to worry—there are no chasing or grabbing actions.
- After finishing the haunted house, don’t forget to take a photo in the automatic photo booth.
- For a harder and scarier experience, visit Onryou Zashiki during summer evenings (available only in summer).
Escape from the Haunted Manor by Real Escape Game in Asakusa
Image Source: Japan Travel
Real Escape Game is an escape room venue in Sumida, just a 4-minute walk from Asakusa Station. It offers various themes of escape rooms, including the scary Haunted Manor, created by SCRAP in collaboration with the one and only Gomi Hirofumi.
In this Japanese haunted house, visitors play as investigators. It is rumored that once you enter the house, you will never get out. Like most escape rooms, you will need to solve puzzles to escape from the haunted house.
The puzzle difficulty can be classified as intermediate. Ideally, your group will need about 40 minutes to finish it. The friendly staff mostly understand English, and all the puzzles and clues in the escape room are also available in English.
Image by Real Escape Game
📍 Location
Operation Hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (Tuesday – Friday), 8:30 am – 10:00 pm (Saturday – Monday)
Admission Fee: General tickets start at 3,200 yen; group tickets start at 17,400 yen. Minimum 2 people, maximum 6 people.
⚠️ Tips & Cautions:
- The maximum number of people in a group is 6, but we recommend entering with 4 people (3 people is ideal). The reason for this is that the escape room isn’t very spacious, and this number is also ideal for solving the puzzles.
- There will be a part where the group plays hide and seek with the “ghost,” portrayed by an actor. It can be thrilling because visitors need to interact with the actor nonverbally. However, it’s not as scary as you might think; sometimes it can be funny when the actor breaks character due to unpredictable interactions.
- It may feel too dark and claustrophobic if those elements terrify you.
In Japan, haunted house amusements not only offer fun scares but also have deep stories and amazing visual effects. They create a thrilling, “scare-to-death” experience, but with safe zones to take a break if it gets too intense. It’s a mix of excitement and safety, making it a great adventure for anyone looking for both fun and fear!