Most haikyo (abandoned buildings) have a unique atmosphere all their own. The faded remains of this old hot spring resort, for example, harked back to a different era, and as such, possessed a sort of melancholic nostalgia. The empty homes and structures of a deserted mountain village, on the other hand, were far more emotive, containing, as they did, personal effects such as photos, clothing etc. Plus completely differently, the mutilated animatronic figures of Western Village theme park made for a vibe that was nothing short of disturbing.
With this aspect in mind then, the building below was similarly special, even though in many ways it’s just another abandoned hotel — something Japan has absolutely no shortage of. Shuttered up and left to slowly decay almost exactly a decade ago, it’s presumably not a very well known spot, as there’s little in the way of damage, and footmarks in the dust were fairly minimal. But due to the bright sun and closed curtains, a couple of the rooms were lit in such a beautiful way that the general quietness was elevated to something almost akin to serenity.
On a completely unrelated note, and one I mentioned in the previous post, the current climate has made work — not to mention life — very uncertain, so if you are a bit flush, or particularly enjoy my photos, then I’ve taken the similarly uncertain step of setting up one of those buy-me-a-coffee/beer pages: https://ko-fi.com/tokyotimes
DavidT says
Very cool photos! I can’t get enough of the 2nd and last! 🙂
Lee says
Thank you! Tough to beat an old phone, and must admit, that room in the 2nd photo was really quite special. That light was genuinely soothing.
Coli says
Agreed! The second and last pictures are definitely outstanding. I don’t know why but older phones like that are always so appealing aren’t they? Do you ever have any frightening experiences at Haikyo? If memory serves me correct didn’t you hear someone still living inside during one of your visits?
Lee says
Thanks a lot! Yes, they really are. And even more so the older black ones. Always really pleased to find one.
I have found signs of people living in haikyo. Or signs of people who had lived in them at least. But happy to say I’ve never stumbled upon somebody’s home as it were. The only genuinely frightening experiences I’ve had have been down to dodgy floors. Due to age, and often water damage, some can be tricky to navigate, and feeling the surface beneath you start to give as you stand on it is not a nice experience…
Stephan says
Awesome find! So perfect for these strange times………………..
Lee says
Thank you! Yes, it is in many ways, isn’t it? Times that’ll hopefully get a lot less strange very quickly.
Once an Expat says
I continue to be amazed that the photos here and elsewhere show what might have happened had people just vanished form the face of the earth. There’s no attempt to salvage anything? wonder if Japanese property law discourages that?
Lee says
Not at all sure about property law, but some buildings have certain things salvaged. Been in a few that have had the likes of air-con units taken out. Others with lots of the wiring removed. And this place had the taps salvaged. You can see they are missing in the shot of the public bath. Taken to be weighed in I presume.
cdilla says
What a wonderful find. Thanks as ever for sharing with us.
It was the video on that awesome copper table that caught my eye and led me off on a random chase through the interwebs. Which has resulted in me wtaching/listening to this https://youtu.be/4dNkBBw3Wj4 and reading about the Chigusa Jazz cafe in Yokohama in a JapanTimes article https://tinyurl.com/rmtcsua. So definitely a place I want to visit.
As for the video – not found it yet. The last copy is probably gathering dust in that video store you posted a while back 🙂
Lee says
You are very welcome. It’s always a huge treat to explore and photograph a haikyo.
Cheers. I wasn’t aware of that coffee shop. A place definitely worth going.
Oh, and not a video. It’s a cassette. Nice to see one of those again. Took me back to the days of making my own mix tapes.
cdilla says
A cassette. Of course. My sense of scale was not working very well 🙂