Japan is littered with relics of the recent past; derelict husks of buildings known as ‘haikyo‘- a Japanese word that means ruin or abandoned building. Outside Japan exploring these places is known as ‘urbex‘- short for urban exploration. Thousands of these haikyo / ruins / abandonments dot Japan’s dark heartlands; once grand structures now left to rot and collapse, leaving behind their gradually fading mark on a country torn apart and reshaped by social upheaval, modernization, world war, and economic collapse. Nara Dreamland Maya Hotel Ruins Nara Dreamland is the epitome of many haikyo dreams; an abandoned theme park with … Continue reading Exploring Japan’s Ruins / Haikyo