Japan's fascinating lore of vengeful spirits and abundance of spooky abandoned spots has resulted in some particularly interesting horror-themed services (as well as Instagram accounts), such as a taxi cab tour that drops you off at a series of haunted spots. Sometimes it's the basics that are most terrifying, and that can be seen at Fuji-Q Highland's Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear, an abandoned hospital-themed maze that claims to be the longest and scariest house of horrors in the world.

Located in Yamanashi prefecture, the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park is most known for its adventurous roller coasters, it's 900 meter long labyrinth of terror is one of its most sought-after attractions. Sporting the creepy aesthetic of a haunted and decrepit hospital reminiscent of Silent Hill, the Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear challenges guests to navigate its winding and disturbing halls filled with unsettling imagery and the ghosts of "former patients" whose mission is to scare you into submission. Visitors are not permitted to enter alone, and while they may walk freely and choose their own route through the hospital, each room contains an emergency exit should the sights and sounds prove too terrifying. The doors get used a lot.

Before entering, guests are shown a horror movie short (below) that explains the twisted history and macabre behind the "hospital" to set the mood (it's actually based on an urban legend of a haunted hospital). As the haunted maze is said to cause some stressful scares, the park has a clever way of lessening the tension for guests who want to challenge the maze without the panic-inducing fright. Guests can purchase a special omamori, or Japanese lucky charm for protection, that glows--helping illuminating your path and signaling to the "ghosts" (rather than machines, the haunted house's ghosts are played by humans) not to attack you (they usually chase you around the maze, sometimes even out of it). With or without the amulet, guests must still navigate through the labyrinth and escape sealed rooms.

Park information can be found here. If you can't make the trip or are feeling to squeamish, feel free to read up on some popular Japanese urban legends and ghost stories here.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.