abandoned

The Japanese term 'haikyo' (meaning ruins) implies a certain amount of weathering, age, and decrepitude; some have more than their fair share, but others have almost none at all. So new looking was this ski lodge that we happened to stumble across, that at first we assumed it was still operational, just waiting until the beginning of winter to open again for the ski season...

Given Japan's penchant for cement, it's almost an oxymoron to find an abandoned cement factory anywhere in this country. Nevertheless, the T Cement Factory was the first place that MJG, Lee, Gaku and I stopped off on our recent haikyo exploration weekend.

The Juan T. Trippe 747 Jumbo Jet was the first commercial jumbo in the world. In 2001 it became a restaurant in Seoul, South Korea, which went bankrupt after only 6 years. Now it sits and waits for the day it will be turned into a museum.

Mist is the default weather setting for any true haikyo experience, adding an eeriness that can't be experienced on a clear day. The only step up would be to explore at night, except that you wouldn't be coming back with decent photos. You must explore alone as well. In the mist, sound is muffled, visibility is reduced, and the world contracts to your immediate surroundings.

The abandoned town of Nichitsu is the only haikyo that I've been to twice. Being an entire town, a second trip ended up being necessary as there were still parts of it we (Jason, Mike and I) didn't get to the first time we went.

Okutama Ropeway was built in 1961, abandoned soon after, and left to fend for itself ever since. Photo set and video of our exploration.

The final episode in my series on Ashiodozan, Japanese ghost town, featuring the factory itself and the train station, plus video.