All the Demolished Haikyo

Mike GristDemolished, Ruins / Haikyo 54 Comments

Several times people have asked me to put up a list of demolished haikyo, to save other people the inconvenience of heading to them and finding them gone. Fair enough- I would certainly have appreciated that info myself. This page is open to being updated- so if you’ve got fresh info about demolished or altered or inaccessible haikyo- please let me/us know in the comments below. TOHOKU Kamaishi Mine, Iwate– Demolished, only foundations left (2007/08) Greenland Theme Park, Fukushima- Demolished KANTO Boyou Hotel, Chiba– Demolished (to my knowledge). Kappa Pia Theme Park, Saitama– Demolished (2007) Tai Hei Yo Cement Plant, …

Boyou Hotel Haikyo- Demolished

Mike GristChiba 3 Comments

A few weeks back I took the bus down to the bottom of the Chiba Boso Peninsula in search of the Boyou Hotel. I got to take the sub-Tokyo Bay Aqualine for the first time, which was cool, but I felt too ill to enjoy being on the Umi Hotaru.

Volcano Museum 3. Return in HDR

Mike GristGunma, Haikyo, Museums 22 Comments

This was my second time to go to the Asama Volcano Museum. The first was on my first haikyo road trip back in 2007- back when I was packing only a cameraphone to shoot with and cared far more about the explore than I did about the photography.

Volcano Museum 2. History

Mike GristGunma, Haikyo, Museums 8 Comments

The Mt. Asama Volcano Museum was a mould-breaking facility opened in 1967, offering insight into the life-cycle of the most active volcano in Honshu (the main island of Japan), and into the area of volcanic rock surrounding it known as Oni Oshi Dashi (exiled demons).

Haikyo 2009 Poll

Mike GristHaikyo 6 Comments

In the previous post, the 10 Most Popular Haikyo of 2009, several people suggested I put up a poll so you can vote directly for your favorites. Well, here it is. I’ve started with the top 30 most popular on the site, though there are of course more. If there’s any you’d like to vote for that I didn’t include, I can easily add them. You get three votes. If you need to check up on some of them to refresh your memory, that’s easily done in the Ruins / Haikyo Gallery.

Top 10 Haikyo 2009

Mike GristBest Of 15 Comments

Haikyoing is kind of an addiction. Every time I get back from a long haikyo weekend, trudging through dusty overgrown schoolhouses and factories, I say to myself- ‘that’ll do, pig’. But then a few weeks or months later I’m always out there again, doing much the same thing, striving for a more authentic experience, a more exciting explore, more mind-blowing shots. Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don’t, and resultingly sometimes the articles I post here find a larger audience and sometimes they don’t. Here you can find the most popular posts of the year, sorted not by me …

Bones of a Gunma Ski Lift

Mike GristGunma, Haikyo, Ropeways 9 Comments

The Gunma ski lift was the glace cherry on a sumptuous cake of weekend haikyo. We’d headed up into the northernmost quadrant of Gunma seeking a mine/factory, one of the last few within a reasonable drive of Tokyo.

Peaceful Haikyo of a Motor Lodge

Mike GristGunma, Haikyo, Hotels / Resorts 11 Comments

I don’t know anything about this haikyo- no history, no past claims to glory or modern haunting. Like the Sun Hills Hotel Car Park before it it’s just a place with some beautiful shapes, light, and decay. Nobody goes there, though access is easy.

The lonesome haikyo bridge at the heart of Tokyo Bay

Mike GristBridges / Roads, Haikyo, Tokyo-to 9 Comments

Months ago now I ventured out on a slow work day to meet fellow haikyoist and photographer Adrian Tan. He had the low-down on a haikyo in central Tokyo, something fairly unusual to stumble across, and rarely worth going to once you do- as city center ruins are all very much alike, and very much alarmed and guarded. Standouts like the New Sky Biru (also a tip-off from Adrian!) are the exception rather than the rule. But when he suggested going to shoot a haikyo bridge, my curiosity was definitely piqued. Haikyo bridge, Toyosu. Not HDR.