This is an oldie but a goodie. Who could resist standing on a ruined car? In this instance I stood on them all, especially enjoying being atop the upside down one. The only other chance you might have to do this is in some kind of riot. Much better to have the calm of Sports World to enjoy it in.
Representing the Wildcats in Saurabol
This was a great location for shooting, one we found totally by accident while staying at in the Chongmun resort zone on Jeju Island, South Korea. It was totally overgrown, with some kind of grouse lurking in the bushes. One of them burst out of the undergrowth at my feet- unfortunately I couldn’t catch it on camera. I have another shot of me leaping in this same spot, but perhaps that’s a bit frivolous (for the first week of this daily photo-posting, at least 😉 ). You can see more on Saurabol here. See more Japanese ruins (haikyo) in the …
Ironic Posing at the Russian Village
This is the third part of my new series of Daily Haikyo Photos. See the first in the series for an explanation. This week’s theme is photos with me in them. I think I never posted this shot anywhere- it’s just too much like a regular tourist shot, though I think I took it ironically. I also took a photo
Looking out of Sun Hills
This is the second part of my new series of Daily Haikyo Photos. See the first in the series for an explanation. This week’s theme is photos with me in them. This is another shot taken by Su Young, this time in the Sun Hills car park. We headed out to Sagamiko Lake in Kanagawa hoping to find the ruined hotel still standing. What I’d been able to research on the Internet suggested it would be very smashed-up, dilapidated, and cool. What we found was the place it had been, and the car park it had used. Lots of sheer …
Surveying Ashiodozan
I’ve got 1000’s of haikyo photos I’ve never used. Occasionally I dip into them to put together a combo post, but for the most part they lie fallow; maybe because I’m in them, or other people are, or they’re not quite as striking as other shots in the set. Still, I think they’re informative, interesting, and I want to use them. Here’s my idea- I post one (usually new) photo a day, for as long as I have good photos left to post. Each week there’s a theme that pulls that set together. It could be that they’re all photos …
Haikyo 2011 Calendar
My haikyo 2011 calendars have arrived! I ordered 5 for the whopping cost of about $60 (with a bulk order discount), and a shipping cost of $30 to Japan. I’m really pleased with their quality- they’re on good stiff card, the print is sharp, the design is clean, and they’re plenty big enough to scrawl all your necessary info onto. For those inclined to buy- here’s a link to the lulu page. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And if that’s not enough to convince you- check out my video walk-through of one sample calendar, giving you a great idea …
2011 Haikyo Calendar
I made a haikyo calendar! It’s live and available for purchase on lulu right now, 13 great haikyo images (12 months and the cover) in an 11 x 8.5 size, for only $14.99. It would make a great Christmas present, oh yes. What better gift than a lovely calendar of ruins? What better gift for yourself? BUY BUY BUY! Buy it in droves and encourage me to go ahead and (finally) publish a handsome book of all these ruins locations. Here’s a sample month, followed by a live preview via lulu. You can buy direct from this link here. Read …
Sports World Retrospective
Sports World was a large sports and water park in Shizuoka, Japan. It was opened in 1988, closed in 1996 after the company went bankrupt, lived on as a ‘haikyo’ or ruin for 14 years more years, then was demolished early in 2010. It was my favorite haikyo in Japan, so it’s sad to hear that. It was one of my earliest explores, and also one of the most exciting- as I stayed in the abandoned hotel overnight. Hearing the news put me in the mood to make a retrospective post, in memorial. While sifting through the 3 trips I …
Stunning ruins of Japan’s Maya Hotel
On Maya mountain in central Japan there’s an old hotel famous in the haikyo scene for one particular setting- a silent corner room with floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s a desk and chair, the walls are brown and peeling, and the windows let in delicious warm light through the overgrown mountain forest outside. Photos of it can be found in many haikyo books and magazines. Of course I wanted to get that photograph. Any completionist haikyoist in Japan needs it to round out his/her collection. So I went to get it: 3 shot HDR bracket with d90 and Tokina 11-16mm, with selective …
Nara Dreamland: Japan’s last abandoned theme park
Nara Dreamland is the epitome of many haikyo dreams; an abandoned theme park with all its roller-coasters and rides still standing. I’ve heard many stories of haikyoists arriving only to be either deterred by the cameras, sensors, alarms and fines, or actually physically expelled by the furious security guard. For my visit I decided to bypass those risks altogether, and entered by night. You can buy prints here. Orion (you can see the 3 stars of his belt) behind the Dreamland castle. Buy prints here. Nara Dreamland opened in 1961, inspired by Disneyland in California. For 45 years its central …