If you visit Hokuto in Yamanashi Prefecture, you might find yourself passing through a town that’s seen better days.
Hokuto is home to many beautiful natural sites, including the Doryu Falls at the base of the Yatsugatake Mountains. It’s also home to the Kiyosato Plateau, a sprawling pastureland filled with natural beauty at 1,200 meters elevation. Today, the area emphasizes its rustic side, showcasing its farm festivals, beautiful bicycling routes, and ski lodges further up the mountain.
If you arrive there via Kiyosato Station, however, you’re likely to be less than impressed. On a weekday, the town outside the station looks outright abandoned. There are only a handful of running businesses. Many of the remaining buildings are dilapidated and empty.
It didn’t used to be like this.
