When it comes to hunting down haikyo/abandoned buildings, books and the web offer a wealth of information and photos, but the trouble is, the latter means that the surprise isn’t quite the same, as you’ve already seen at least some of the structure before even setting foot inside it. So, with this in mind, coming across a place that hasn’t been pictured before is a real treat, and definitely a real rush, as what lies behind every door is a new discovery.
A situation that fortunately arose recently when a friend and I were in search of a no longer in use love hotel, and instead stumbled upon an abandoned and luckily unlocked ‘Scandinavian’ lodge. A relatively small place that didn’t contain a great deal content wise, but it did boast that firm favourite of all haikyo, a phone.
Along with statues of what are presumably Scandinavian beauties.
With silent stares that were really quite unsettling.
Especially so when coupled with a less fetching figure.
A photo of which turned out to be my final one, as, totally unannounced, and utterly unheard, an irate local came barging through the doors behind me, and in no uncertain terms said I should leave — a man who sadly couldn’t be appeased no matter how much I apologised.
Meaning no more time to take pictures, and definitely no time for a cheeky cup of tea and a couple of buns.
Mike says
Nice find Lee! You got one of those weird stuffed tanooki in your hotel too – just like the onsen hotel I found. I wonder if they are standard..?
Pity about the irate local – be a bit more careful when you go back 😉
Lee says
Cheers Mike. Those things must have been popular at one time, although they aren’t particularly ‘Scandinavian’…
Upstairs was pretty much just stuff packed away in boxes, so bar a few odds and sods, I got shots of the more interesting stuff, so thankfully I don’t have to risk a return visit.
Si says
I’d say you’ve hit rock bottom with that pun! 😉
Lee says
Yeah, it was a bit disappointing having to finish on such a bum note…
fishy says
I don’t blame you for being a bit “cheeky.” 😉
fishy says
And, after all, the “end” of anything is a bit sad.
Linette Baneth says
You have probably explained this at another time, but I hope you help again. Why are there so many abandoned hotels in Haikyo? Where is Haikyo?
Weird, creepy and cheeky photos. Good stuff.
Koi says
Haikyo means ruins or abandoned buildings. It is not a place or location.
Lee says
Thanks Linette. Glad you liked them. And Koi is absolutely right, it’s a Japanese word that has become (relatively) popular in English too.
Yasukostyle says
Hi Lee,
I love the door shot leading into rest of the images. It’s funny that someone wrapped tenugui around the statue’s breast. It’s a shame an irate local interrupted your shoot.
I was in Miami earlier this year. On the way back to the hotel, I got lost and ended up in a nice residential area. There was an abandoned castle – like structure with large columns, balcony and gargoyles. It was surrounded with chain linked fence and palm trees. It was dark, so I was not able to see much, but it looked very creepy. I went back to the castle few days later and found out that the castle was mostly made out of cement and looked like an amusement park entrance. One of the neighbors told me that it used to belong to the Barefoot Cruises captain. I found the photos and the story of the abandoned castle at abandonedmuse.com. Are you familiar with is site?
Lee says
Thanks! Yes, those statues were quite intriguing in many ways. God knows what they were used for.
And cheers for the link. I wasn’t aware of that site. Were you not tempted to go inside the place for a look?
Yasukostyle says
Yes, I really wanted to go inside when I stopped by on the last day in Miami. My car was filled with equipment and exposed films, so I didn’t feel comfortable about leaving it there while we were inside. The castle was partially burned down and the neighbor warned me about problems with vagrants and critters. Neighbors were happy about the demolition scheduled for May, so it’s probably gone by now. They hated the Castle from the beginning. There was an elegant Mediterranean style old mansion (that must have been the place to see) before the captain bought the property.
I need to make a special haikyo trip to Miami and Everglades area. When Castro dumped Cuban criminals on U.S., they were held at a camp near Everglades. Now the camp is haikyo. There is a very creepy abandoned psychiatric hospital in Miami. According to the person who went in, there were big iron hooks on the wall. Who knows what they did with them. The group of people who went in all felt a chill and heard a child crying, but they were the only people there. When the hospital was still operating, patients walked back and forth on the fenced in roof.
There was an abandoned woman’s prison in Atlanta. It is now a condominium. The prison was built in the early twentieth century. It was a granite building. It had a very wide stone staircase which looked like a castle staircase in films. There was a very large open room with wide plank wood floors which probably was a dormitory. Iron bars in the stone framed windows with no place for glass. Windows were small and placed high. There were heavy iron hooks on the stone walls. It was very creepy, but a great place to shoot fashion.
A friend of mine used to go inside of an abandoned Candler mansion in Atlanta. It belonged to one of the Coca Cola families. The man of the house was either murdered or committed suicide at the mansion. The interior details, I was told were beautiful. I wish I had gone in before they turned it into a condominium.
Here in the U.S., visiting haikyo is not very safe. There are vagrants and drug addicts who go there to shoot up. When an abandoned Tudor style hotel complex (mainly used for conventions in the 60’s and 70’s) was being torn down to build a shopping mall, they found a body of a murdered vagrant. A security guard was found murdered in the hotel complex a couple years prior to the demolition. It’s risky, but fascinating.
If I find any images of the places I mentioned, I’ll let you know. I really enjoy your photos and look forward to seeing them every day. Thank you.
Lee says
Thank you!
Those places sound fantastic, but yeah, I can imagine your apprehension. That’s the beauty of visiting these places in Japan I guess. Even though there’s the risk of coming across people (which have on several occasions), the level of risk is really quite low. Or at least it has been from my experience.
MrSatyre says
I’d be willing to bet that the “irate local” happens to be the irate former owner or employee of the lodge.
Lee says
Possibly, but he seemed more upset that we had deceived him. He was working in a little lock-up nearby, and as we needed somewhere to park the car, we asked if we could leave it there while we went for a short walk.
Presumably he saw us going in, and when he caught me he seemed more angry that we hadn’t actually gone on a short walk rather the fact I was in the building taking pictures.
MrSatyre says
Tsk-tsk! 😉
Peta says
Love your work! I check your blog daily 🙂 Reminds me of my time in Japan….
Lee says
Thanks a lot Peta. Nice to know you get something out of it.
S in Shanghai says
Being from Scandinavia, I see absolutely nothing particular Scadinavian in those pics. But if the customers belived so, well I don’t care.
/S
Lizzy says
Oh Lee, you got hit! At least you got the interesting stuff captured. Very nice. I love that door perspective shot.
Lee says
Thanks!
Yeah, first time. Well, first time to get caught by somebody who really wasn’t happy. In Nichitsu mining town we came across some security, but once they realised we were only taking pictures, they were fine. The fella at this place on the other most certainly wasn’t…
The Envoy says
For a moment there it seemed like you picked that Tanuki to visually represent that “irate local”…