Head out of the city and into the Japanese countryside, and apartment buildings become fairly scarce, so to not only find a small complex in the mountains, but one that has been abandoned for decades, was a surprise to say the least. In the past, similar locales have revealed a long lost village, hamlet and former forestry settlement — each full of old houses that didn’t look especially out of place in their surroundings. Yet as incongruous as they were, the apartments below were still comparable in the sense that they were also based around employment, with the mostly self-contained blocks once home to cement company workers relocated to the area.
With nice views and the convenience of shops on the premises, it must have been a relatively nice place to live — at least in the warmer months anyway. Winter, on the other hand, can’t have been much fun at all, as protection from the cold, especially in the more traditional rooms, was minimal at best. That said, any worries about the weather are now utterly irrelevant, as the whole place has been abandoned since the late 1970s. Forty years or so that has seen the elements take an incredible toll on the buildings, and the individual apartments in particular, leaving only stark reminders of what was, and what eventually will always be.
Steve says
This is almost beyond comment it’s so creepy. That vending machine!
Lee says
That vending machine is wonderful, isn’t it? The rust and faded colours are pretty much perfect.
Coli says
Excellent find as always Lee! I am so impressed how you can always find these interesting places. The concrete structure in the first photo has a nice post apocalyptic feeling to it doesn’t it? Nice to end the series with that photo by the way! Those are the two most impressive:)
May I ask you a gear question? These are all taken on a 35mm f2?
Lee says
Cheers. As it was so completely unexpected, it made it even better.
Yes, it really does, and the fence/mesh on the exterior gives it a weird sort of haziness if that’s the right word. Certainly unusual, anyway. Thanks. Had to end with that photo. Fits absolutely perfectly.
And, yes, of course you can. They were. Had to bump up the ISO a bit on a couple of the photos cos I shoot handheld, but the lens is generally fast enough. A wider one would be nice in some situations, but to be honest there aren’t really enough situations to warrant the outlay.
Morgan says
These look like stills from a survival horror game! 😮
Lee says
Yeah, I see what you mean, but very happy to say there were no zombies to hide or flee from !
Stephan says
Very cool! I love the old vending machine and the last shot is very poignant.
Lee says
Cheers! Totally agree, that vending machine is very special. So much to like about it. And yeah, same with that poster. It’s perfect. Couldn’t have asked for more really.
Landon says
I Love it! This would make the perfect J horror movie set!
Lee says
Yeah, it really would. On a cloudier day, or in the late afternoon, extra shadows would no doubt bring out that element out even further.
Marc says
I can smell the mildew.
Lee says
Perhaps cos it was so open to the elements, it wasn’t that bad at all. In fact compared to some places I’ve been in, it was positively odour free!
Paul says
Again, thank you very much for sharing your discovery.
Your are my little window on a fascinating hidden side of Japan culture. I hope I could visit something like this in the future.
I’d like so much to know WHY someone left his slippers like that. It sounds a little bit weird I know but I’m captivated by belongings appearing in your journey’s pictures.
Regards,
Paul
Lee says
You are very welcome. Good to hear you enjoy these different sides of Japan.
The objects left behind are what fascinate me the most about places like this, and as these buildings didn’t have much in the way of personal stuff, those shoes really stood out. That said, it doesn’t explain why they were left in the first place…