In my recent explorations of abandoned buildings, I’ve been incredibly lucky to find the kinds of places that I find most fascinating; namely those that contain a lot of possessions and hints about the lives of those who once lived or worked in them. The old enka singer’s house in particular, and the long left kimono shop, offered tantalising tidbits of information about their past occupants. And to a certain extent even the old pachinko parlor, which as well as having an interesting story behind it, was almost completely intact.
None of which, it has to be said, I expected to find at the bankrupt and abandoned Niigata Russian Village. However, the lure of an accurate copy of Suzdal’s The Cathedral of the Nativity bizarrely nestled at the foot of the Gozu mountain range was eventually just too much. And how could it not be?
The lure for paying visitors, on the other hand, obviously wasn’t quite so strong, because after initially opening in 1993, it closed down for a while six years later due to the collapse of the bank supporting it. And if that wasn’t a good enough sign that it really wasn’t a good idea, another investor inexplicably ploughed yet more money into the park and promptly re-opened it for business. A period that was obviously even less successful than the first stretch, as it closed its doors again, and this time permanently, in April 2004.
But obvious mistakes aside, as a theme park and wedding venue, the complex must have been even more surreal in its heyday. And on a sunny day, really quite a sight.
Unfortunately, the whole village has since been violently and systematically vandalised, with very little of it left intact. A situation that needless to say is a genuine shame, as, left untouched, it would have been a truly fascinating place. Especially so once nature really started to take the buildings back.
But as it is, the cathedral is probably the least damaged part of the whole park.
Something that may, or indeed may not, have something to do with the big fella looking down from above.
Yet that’s not to say that there weren’t any photo opportunities; there were just less that’s all. And the huge fire that fairly recently ripped through the hotel did make for quite a stark, yet somehow still appealing, image.
Plus thankfully there was that firm favourite of all abandoned buildings, a telephone.
Along with a rare bit of strange beauty. A scene that, if it’s not a tad too over the top for a pair of old slippers, somehow encompasses a big part of what haikyo is all about. Combined with a possible hint of that wonderfully vague Japanese concept, wabi-sabi.
But story wise, there isn’t a lot to tell. Or indeed to see. It was a bad idea that not surprisingly went bankrupt. There simply weren’t enough visitors. And those that did go, definitely didn’t go back.
Except perhaps until it had closed, because since then it has become a very different kind of tourist destination, with some of those visiting intent on a very different kind of day out.
All of which was really rather sad.
Although there were still a few pleasant surprises. Such as a still intact mammoth.
Complete with the perfect kind of chair to view it from.
Plus this splendid bit of silliness to finish off with — a miniature woolly mammoth that was found in one of the function rooms. And fitted with a two-seater saddle, it must have been used to wheel the happy (and presumably happily bemused) new couple into the guest-filled post-ceremony party room. A sight that really must have been something to behold.
Which in many ways makes Niigata Russian Village all the more depressing, as due to Japan’s economic bubble being long since burst, its stupidly optimistic sort will sadly never be seen again.
tamh says
It’s a shame that the complex was so deeply vandalized, I would love to see the premises and the management offices up to the time when it went definitely bankrupt, the rooms.
Anyway, awesome job as always!
Lee says
Thanks! Yes, it would have been far better to see the place as it was when the last of the staff left. The inside of the Cathedral especially could have been a real treat.
Benja/Paperform says
What a fantastic post. It must have been quite thrilling to explore this place. I hope you had a friend as backup tho…
Looking forward to your next hidden Nippon discovery!
Lee says
Cheers! Yeah, I never go alone these days. Dodgy floors and the like means it far better to go with a friend. Plus it’s much more enjoyable to share the experience.
goodandbadjapan says
Fascinating post and great pictures!
Lee says
Thank you!
Maria says
yes safety first,great post!gave me the same feeling with the hotel you’ve done before.
Lee says
Cheers Maria. Yeah, the state it’s in definitely makes it similar to one or two other places I’ve been to.
Lizzy says
I do love the description of “stupidly optimistic” and it is a shame that nothing like this will likely sprout up again. Vandalized or not, are there any more pictures? It seems like there’s so much more to this place. Also, any idea if the fire was accident or arson?
Lee says
There are Lizzy, but mostly of things that have been smashed up, which unfortunately didn’t make for great images…
The fire was fairly recent, so definitely arson.
Diane says
As a Russian, seeing something like this in Japan is just wonderful!
I would love to support it, and other Russian/Ukrainian businesses in Japan, in my future.
Haha.. the outfits are recognizable!
Have some at home ^^
Lee says
Excellent. Glad to hear you liked it. And recognize the outfits!
Mark says
Excellent photos again Bro, amazing how you find these interesting places. Up where I am living(Aomori) there are some abandoned love hotels but I gotta say they are quite creepy. Rumor has it that most of these places were abandoned due to people taking their own lives which makes it more creepier to check out… maybe where your at you could look into abandoned love hotels. There always seems to be abandoned hotels everywhere I been.
Lee says
Cheers Mark. This is quite a famous one to be honest, unlike the recent ones I’ve been to.
Many haikyo have stories about death, spirits or some such thing. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just go in and have a look. I’ve visited a few abandoned love hotels and they are well worth exploring.
Tyler says
I was wondering when you would do the Russian Village, saw it once on another Haikyo blog that doesn’t update anymore. I have to admit your photos are of higher quality. Are you a professional photographer Lee or just a damn good hobbyist?
Lee says
Yes, I couldn’t resist in the end Tyler. I would have gone a long time ago, but distance wise it’s a hell of a drive to do in one day. So in the end we combined it with a stay on nearby Sado Island, which made for a really good (and varied) trip.
Oh, and thanks very much for the kind words, but I’m no professional. It’s just something I love doing.
The Envoy says
Are mammoths Russian?
Lee says
Good point. I really don’t know. They are foreign though, so that’s usually good enough.
Florian says
Great article, as always!
I’m glad to hear that the place wasn’t re-opened / demolished as reported on the net before! Too bad it’s a daytrip for me just to get there… *grr*
Lee says
Cheers Florian!
As surreal as it is to see the cathedral there as you come up through the the trees, due to its condition, I’m not sure it’s worth the trek on its own. We combined it with Sado Island which made for a good, and varied trip. But if I’d driven all there way there just for the haikyo, I think I’d have been a bit disappointed.
Florian says
Thanks for the warning! I haven’t found any other locations of real interest in the area, so I guess my next vacations will be to other regions of Japan. So many places to go to, so little time…
Jeffrey says
As fascinating as these contemporary archeological sites are, I lean toward razing the more horrible of them as they are such a blight on the landscape (think Nara Dream Land and Gulliver’s Kingdom).
I’m sure you’ve seen the web site Derelict London. What I find interesting and sad is that too many of the buildings and such documented there have or had real architectural value and yet are being allowed to molder away. On the other hand, too many of the “major” haikyo in Japan were ugly and ill-conceived out of the box.
I could see the value of leaving one particularly egregious example intact and making a visit to it and an understanding of the “planning” behind it as requisite for anyone wanting to build a new resort or amusement park in the future or as part of a university business management “how not to” class. Otherwise . . .
Lee says
I know what you mean Jeffrey. I think so many of these Japanese ones survive because they are so large that the cost of demolition would be huge. Plus, like the Russian Village, they are so far out of the way, that they are practically invisible. But for an old sign, and of course a map, we would have had no idea this place even existed.
That said, Sports World it seems is now being demolished, and that will be a major operation. So it can be done.
Jeffrey says
The demise of Sports World is hard to understand. I think that it had to be more than simply another Bubble folly. That place, in a country that has far too few swimming/water park facilities to begin with, should have made it.
Lee says
I think Sports World biggest mistake was that it was all outdoor and uncovered, meaning that it only had a few months to really pack the punters in. It was pretty exposed up there too, so it’s hard to imagine them getting many guests/visitors outside the summer months. And as it was such a big complex, they presumably couldn’t make enough money in that time to carry them through the rest of the year.
KenC says
Brilliant as always Lee. The two seater mammoth made my day though, so funny.
Lee says
Thanks Ken! Yes, that was the last building we came across, and it was a great way to leave it. I’d dearly love to see some wedding photos with that mammoth in them!
MJG says
Great to see this place from your perspective Lee, also good to know that the church is still standing, as I’d heard various rumors it had been burnt to the ground.
As for the mammoth- I rode on it! Back then it was outdoors on one of the overgrown trails. Unless of course there was more than one. If you’ll forgive a link, you can see it here-
http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/russian-village-haikyo-niigata/
There’s also, if you can stomach it, video of me riding the mammoth towards the end of the video.
Lee says
Cheers Mike. I knew the hotel had suffered a fairly bad fire before I went, but I was pretty sure the church was still standing. That said, I wasn’t quite prepared the systematic destruction that had taken place everywhere else…
Tami says
… oh wow, I can remember visiting this place as a kid on a family trip (my mom & her family are from Niigata-ken). Amazing it wasn’t demolished, but sad it’s come to this dereliction; I can vaguely remember being impressed by their lovely colored glass in the gift shop and it being a huge park.
Thanks for the re-awakening of lost memories and wonderful photos!
uno says
when did you think the fire took place?
Lee says
A good few years ago.
Molly says
Did you have any difficulties getting in? I know this was posted quite a few years ago, but I’m considering visiting (no other good abandonments in my area) and am a little apprehensive as to where to park.
Lee says
Nah, none at all. If I remember correctly, we parked near the gate and simple walked up the road. There was a gate, but it was easy to climb over. Not high at all. There’s very little nearby, so I wouldn’t worry about parking.