Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2009

Name: Heiankaku

Location: Iwama City, Ibaraki

History: Not much is known about Heiankaku, except that the vast space must have once been used for marriage celebrations—wedding dresses and pictures of newlyweds still lie scattered about. At some point, a fire ravaged the complex, leaving the walls and ceilings charred, though it’s unclear whether the conflagration caused Heiankaku to go out of business, or if it happened after the venue was deserted.

Access: Iwama station on the JR Joban line, about 90min from Ueno.

Source: “Haikyo Deflation Spiral” (http://home.f01.itscom.net/spiral), a leading haikyo exploration site featuring dozens of frequently updated galleries.