Finding old and long-forgotten personal possessions in abandoned homes isn’t all that unusual in Japan. The houses in this previously photographed village, for example, can’t have been all that different when people still lived there, and in the same mountainous region as the buildings below was a slowly deteriorating little hamlet — its dwellings filled with the belongings of former inhabitants. And yet that said, the sight of mouldy clothes hanging out as if to dry was a first.
Surrounded by vegetation, the dark interior of the solitary house was in a terrible state, making walking in seem very unwise, but perhaps the best, albeit rather odd explanation for the scene that greeted us is that someone braver once ventured in to retrieve the clothes. And if that wasn’t strange enough, they then went a step further by hanging them all up
The only other possibility that makes any kind of sense is that they’ve been there since the property was abandoned, but that doesn’t really account for why the clothes were left outside. Yet regardless of how they got there, and whoever was responsible, stumbling upon them made for a strangely unsettling experience to say the least.
Similarly, and at the end of the same day, we found one last house on the way home. No longer lived in, it was completely locked up, but clothes were once again significant. This time hanging in the windows — their presence giving the property a strange, very real sense of still being occupied.
ellen says
So creepy…….
Lee says
It was definitely an unexpected find.
Jason says
I would assume somebody suddenly died and family never game around to clean up the house, but still own it likely.
Lee says
That generally seems to be the case, and it makes total sense for the second house. Still doesn’t really explain the clothes hanging outside the first place though…
Coli says
Definitely agree! This is probably the first time I’ve ever found your haikyo pictures to be creepy. This is could be right out of a horror movie. Some of those clothes still look like they are relatively new. Wouldn’t that be something if someone were still actually living there?
Lee says
It was certainly one of those rare finds that initially at least made me feel a bit uncomfortable. And yeah, some looked relatively new, whereas others were all mouldy. Very strange.
It would. Seen some shocking places that have still been lived in, but that first place would beat them all hands down!
Stephan says
Great find. Creepy as hell but perfect for Halloween!
Lee says
Cheers. Yeah, it seemed quite a fitting time to post them.
cdilla says
Creepy indeed, but my money is on a prank/hoax/set up. A stiff breeze and/or a heavy rainfall would have had most of them wrapped around or on the floor. And those pale one sure don’t look to have been outside for long.
Lee says
Yeah, that would be my bet too. Perhaps even several of them, as some clothes were in much better shape than others.
From Brazil says
It looks like a creepy fashion photoshoot.
Lee says
That would definitely make for some interesting photos. Not sure lugging all the gear up there would be appreciated though, and changing/styling facilities would be rather primitive to say the least!
Mark Thorpe says
Some of those clothes seem way too clean and free of mould to have been there for any great length of time. Really creepy for sure. Maybe a mountain hermit scuttled out of sight just as you arrived??
Lee says
That would at least explain things! But yeah, some are very clean. Others quite the opposite. Plus we couldn’t get near the coat in the 4th photo ‘cos of all the branches and shrubbery. Hanging it up there would have required an awful lot of effort to say the least, which begs the question, why go to such trouble?
Paul says
I think about a warning : “don’t break in, people are still living in there”.
Such a shame you didn’t enter !
Lee says
That second house really did feel like someone was living there. In fact I was convinced of it ’til we saw the telltale signs of the removed gas bottles and disconnection of the electricity. Sadly all locked up though…