In Akihabara, giant screens blared happy tunes to deserted streets as a life-threatening typhoon approached Japan.
ghost town
Even though abandoned buildings seem more appropriate for movie villains, there is something undeniably soothing about seeing the quiet and still remains of a place abandoned by people. These deserted places, called “haikyo” in Japanese, can be stunningly beautiful in their serenity.
After documenting rundown schools, forgotten amusement parks and abandoned hospitals in Japan for his blog Totoro Times, French photographer Jordy Meow has turned his urban exploration into a book, “Nippon no Haikyo.” From haunted hospitals and silent schools to deserted hotels and creepy fun parks, click below to check out 50 images of these amazing haikyo sites throughout Japan.
Google Japan has announced that it is now possible for Google Maps users to access street view images of Namie, a coastal town in Fukushima that was severely affected by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami before being completely evacuated when the nearby Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant went critical.