If you`re into haikyo, you`ll probably already know about Haikyo Deflation Spiral. If you don`t, let me introduce you. It`s one of the top sites on the web for Japanese ruins. Compared to all the other Japan ruins sites (twodogs, ruins-site, etc..) it`s very easy to navigate, with very simple posts for each location visited. The site runner is Hiroyuki Tsuzuki , he`s a visual arts designer around the same age as me- 30. I don`t think he has a book out, but since he`s stopped updating his website I guess he`s working on material for one. He also has a monthly column in Metropolis, one of Tokyo`s free English language magazines.
A cool hotel, another cool hotel, and Gunkanjima.
As you might expect there`s a lot of overlap between the places Hiroyuki`s been to and the places I`ve been to. A quick surf through his files, and mine, will generally show you how the places have aged, since he went to them years ago. Kappa Pia on my site is mostly demolished, but on his it is still very much alive. Likewise for Chichibu cement plant, Gulliver`s Kingdom, and many more. Others have just been smashed up more, time beating their walls and roofs down.
A distant factory.
Overgrown pachinko.
An infamous hotel, now demolished.
Ferris wheel next to a golf course, now toppled.
Control panel on Hashima.
Demolished hotel.
He also does model shoots in ruins, but I`m not a fan. Too much in schoolgirl uniform, not enough effort in composition or lighting. Here`s that link.
See a curation of world ruins in the ruins gallery.
See my collection of Japanese ruins (haikyo) in the galleries:
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Comments 5
Wow, that hotel with all the pink chairs is now demolished? That was one of the first haikyo’s I read about on some haikyo site years ago. Even though it was an old abandoned hotel it is still a bit sad to think it’s now gone.
I thought the hotel in the last pic (Maya Kanko) was still there? Shame to see it go, it had real class. Browsing around the net I found some pictures of it back when it was still fairly new and operational, would loved to have stayed there.
Hi Mike,
Leni is right, the Maya Hotel is still there – I saw it, but couldn’t get in yet. The only easy way in is under the supervision of the ropeway personnel close-by, but there might be a hiking trail leading there. In any case people will be easy to spot from many locations after entering as the hotel is located on some kind of ledge.
Author
Thanks for corrections guys- I didn`t properly check that last one, just went with my gut feeling. I`m pretty sure I heard the pink chairs one was gone though.
Maya is still there in Kobe, you can see it from afar.
Incidently, Kobe itself bugs me beyond belief. Would you believe that despite being one of Japan’s 3 top night views, the cable car stops before sunset outside of August and special events. Like, both the Mt Rokko AND Mt. Maya. Of all the Top Threes in Japan, the night views was the only one I felt I had a chance of ticking off completely. Sorry, ranting.