Japan has a rich and distinctive culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Some of the must-visit spots include famous attractions such as Shibuya Crossing, Meiji Shrine, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and Kiyomizu-dera. Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a popular destination for hiking and sightseeing. In addition to several spectacular spots, Japan offers several unique experiences to travelers, such as traditional arts like tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and calligraphy, and pop culture phenomena such as anime and manga.
One more way of making your trip to Japan memorable is booking a unique accommodation. By staying at a school during your vacation, you can revisit your childhood, play to your heart’s content, and even explore a school during nighttime. Read on for top abandoned schools to stay in Japan.
We handpicked these listings carefully, considering (wherever possible) Superhost status, recent guest reviews, location, accommodation type, prices, availability of dates, decor, and amenities. The image galleries get refreshed with the latest updates regularly. They were last updated on October 28, 2025.
1. Gimpo Onsen Gakko no Sumika; Nikaho, Akita Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Gimpo Onsen Gakko no Sumika is a retro hot spring inn located in Nikaho, on the site of a former elementary school. The inn features a charming one-story wooden building with a thatched roof and offers two types of hot springs: milky blue sulfur springs and colorless transparent radium springs.
The retro atmosphere is evident with the statue of Ninomiya Sontoku that still stands beside the inn, the jidori chickens roaming freely in the courtyard, and the rooms designated with names such as 1st grade, 2nd grade, etc.
Gimpo Onsen Gakko no Sumika
Address: 〒018-0321 About 5 minutes from Konoura IC on the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway, 1 Hishigata, Maekawa, Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture
Travelers Review: Fabulous 4.17(from 108 reviews)
2. Learning Inn Roadside Station Hota Elementary School; Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
The first floor of the school building at Learning Inn Roadside Station Hota Elementary School features a mountain restaurant that uses local ingredients, as well as restaurants serving Chinese and pizza dishes. On the second floor, you’ll find a simple accommodation facility with hot baths. The gymnasium has been converted into a shopping zone.
There are 10 4-person private rooms and 2 large rooms that can accommodate up to 15 people. The interiors retain the design of the classrooms.
Learning Inn Roadside Station Hota Elementary School
Address: 724 Yasuda, Kyonan Town, Awa District, Chiba Prefecture
3. Yamabiko-so; Nishiizu, Shizuoka Prefecture
Yamabiko-so is a lodging facility that has been repurposed from a closed school. Set in a village with a clear river and nostalgic mountain scenery, it evokes a sense of nostalgia in its visitors.
The lodging rooms still retain the atmosphere of the former classrooms, with class tags displayed outside the rooms. There is a playful touch to the facility’s rules that are written in a notebook resembling a school rule book. In addition to barbecue facilities, it also features a hot spring that flows directly from the source. For those traveling by car, note that the route can be difficult to navigate, so be sure to check the official website for directions.
Yamabiko-so
Address: 〒410-3511 Shizuoka, Kamo District, Nishiizu, Oosouri, １５０
Star Rating: 3 Star
Travelers Review: 4.3(from 175 reviews)
4. Saru Elementary School; Minakami, Gunma Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
About two hours by car from Tokyo, Saru Elementary School is located in a nostalgic wooden school building, with a large ground, a pool, a music room with a grand piano, a library, and a staff room. It is available for exclusive use by one group (minimum 10 people) per day. The facility is suitable for circle activities, training camps, camping, and more.
This popular accommodation facility allows you to spend a special day with your friends and feel the excitement of being a child again.
Saru Elementary School
Address: 1744-15 Aimata, Minakami-cho, Tone-gun, Gunma
Japan Tour Guide
Jae Leung
Hello! I’m a HK born Singaporean based in Tokyo. I provide private custom tour all around Japan such as trips to Mt Fuji and Hakone.
5. Katakuri no Yado; Tsunan; Niigata Prefecture (from USD 177)
Katakuri no Yado is located in Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture, at the entrance to Akiyamago, one of Japan’s top 100 unexplored regions. Yuto Elementary School, which was closed in 1992, has been renewed as an interactive accommodation. It has seven guest rooms and a hot spring bath can be found in the former principal’s office.
The area around the inn is lush green, and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Akiyamago throughout the four seasons.
Katakuri no Yado
Address: Ketto 450-1
6. Oishii Gakko; Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Oishii Gakko is a rare accommodation where you can spot three school buildings, the Meiji School Building, the Taisho School Building, and the Showa School Building, stand side by side. You can see Yatsugatake and the Southern Alps from all six guest rooms of the Showa school.
The evening meals are served in nostalgic-looking anodized aluminum tableware. You can sit on a wooden school desk and chair and have lunch in the classroom at night. The school lunch, which uses local ingredients, is nutritionally balanced and hearty.
オイシイガッコウ
Address: 3058 Sutamacho Shimotsugane, Hokuto, Yamanashi 407-0322, Japan
Travelers Review: 4.0(from 416 reviews)
7. Villa Amehata; Hayakawa, Yamanashi Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Villa Amehata is a single-family inn on the shores of Lake Amehata in Hayakawa, Yamanashi Prefecture. A hot spring facility, Suzuri no Yu, is attached to the accommodation. Although the original school building has been renovated, the interior corridors and other parts retain the remnants of the school.
The adjoining Suzuri no Yu is a natural sulfur spring. The women’s public bath has an open-air bath where you can gaze at nature and the starry sky while taking a dip.
Villa Amehata
Address: 699 Amehata, Hayakawa-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture 409-2734
8. Akizuno Garten; Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Akizuno Garten is situated within the wooden school building of the former Kamiakizu Elementary School in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture. It is an experiential green tourism facility funded by local residents. Accommodation is provided in the building right next to the old school building. The rooms are equipped with air conditioners and free Wi-Fi.
秋津野ガルテン
Address: 4558-8 Kamiakizu, Tanabe, Wakayama 646-0001, Japan
Travelers Review: 4.2(from 419 reviews)
9. Omishima Ikoi no Ie; Imabari, Ehime Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Omishima Ikoi no Ie is located in a wooden school building standing on the coast of the shining blue Seto Inland Sea. Surrounded by the sea and mountains, the former school building is now used as a lodging for travelers visiting the Shimanami Kaido.
The classrooms have been converted into guest rooms with tatami mats, and baths and showers have been installed for guests, but largely the original building remains unchanged. The facility also has large rooms that can accommodate groups for training camps.
Omishima Ikoi no Ie
Address: 〒794-1309 5208-1 Munekata, Omishima-cho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture
10. Haretoke Design Hostel; Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Deai Elementary School, located in the mountains of Miyoshi, has been renovated into a fashionable facility. It offers a small dormitory with only six beds. If you are okay with sleeping bags, you also have the option of staying cheaply.
It takes about an hour and a half by car from the center of Tokushima City using the highway, but it is also close to the borders of Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi Prefectures, making it surprisingly easy to access from those three prefectures.
Haretoke Design Hostel
Address: Onishi-15 Ikedacho Ori, Miyoshi, Tokushima 779-5164, Japan
Travelers Review: 4.2(from 202 reviews)
11. Neko no Shima Hostel / Sanagi Island, Kagawa Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Sanagi Island floating in the Seto Inland Sea became famous when stray cats jumping through breakwaters were introduced in photobooks and media as “flying cats”. You can meet many friendly cats on this island.
Neko no Shima Hostel is situated in a wooden school building that used to be an elementary school. The guest house offers a unique stay that evokes feelings of nostalgia. There are only a few ferries to the island every day, so be sure to check the schedule and departure port in advance.
Neko no Shima Hostel
Address: 〒764-0040 1353 Sanagi, Tadotsu-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
12. Iikane Palette; Tagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Iikane Palette is a dormitory housed in an abandoned elementary school. Built with the vision of creating a world where anything is possible, it is a facility where you can find not only accommodation, but also music production, performances, photo sessions, table tennis, barbecues, and more.
The library in the center of the school building is used as a co-working space where travelers can interact with each other, read books and chat.
Iikane Palette
Address: 2559 Inokuni, Tagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture 826-0045
Travelers Review: Dummy Fabulous 8.65(from 236 reviews)
Find a one-of-a-kind stay in Japan
What can make a trip more memorable than staying at a unique accommodation that brings back fond childhood memories? Book one of these accommodations located within abandoned schools in Japan, and have the time of your life!
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