Why Was This Japanese Village Abandoned?

Great work!

Amazing stories were told, no doubt there is a thing about witnesses of shocking scenes haha

はじめまして。
私は不動産登記に関わる仕事をしております。来年度からの相続登記義務化問題を象徴するような興味深い動画でした。街中の迷惑空き家とはまた別の問題をはらむ山間部廃村の空き家。クライアント達が相続登記を放置躊躇する原因がよく分かりました。
とても意義深い動画をありがとうございます。

Well done. I am enjoying your channel.

Even most furthest rural place in japan have more great infrastructure than most towns which governed by irresponsible mayors on South-East Asia

This was a really cool story you told. I went down a rabbit hole about inunaki tunnel wnd wanted to see if anyone went to the villages nearby, but i wasnt expecting such wholesome history in the surrounding area. This was quite nice. I hope i can hike it too one day.

Wow, a very emotional video but beautifully done. The music really captured the heart of the story ❤

I feel like this amazing documentary can be summed up in one word: Damn.

What is the status of urbex in japan ?

It's sooo good that you're documenting people's stories like this. Very touching and great that it can be shared with people all over the world.

What a beautiful video. How we affect the lives of others for the necessities of the many. I wonder if people who don't suffer from floodings or shortages of water anymore are even aware of the story of this villagers.

damn that sucks

Dude, I just discovered your videos and this one was by far the best. You got me tearing up at the end there. Wow, well done and thanks for telling these stories!

Sadly as someone who lives in the countryside in Japan, this will be more and more common in rural areas, and is already happening with a large aging population now. What a sad story.

As I said in the last video, it’s like you can feel the memories…only this time as they talked about how life changed it was almost as if seeing the area with people still there, going about their day….and then fading out…beautifully captured

name of this place plz

I’d love to live alone in one of the villages. But I’m not a sissy 😊

The whole video feel like a healing journey to me. It feel oddly nostalgic. Thank you for doing this

This was very well done mate. Well written with great narration, and a respect and sensitivity to the people who are clearly affected. Superb documentary.

That's so sad. So I'm guessing the company who put the dam in didn't relocate these people or give these people money to rebuild some where else?

I'm Japanese, but I wasn't familiar with the dam problem that this video talks about.
thanks for the good video.
Everyone prioritizes convenience and comfort, and the number of settlements where such depopulation is becoming a problem is increasing.
I'm one of those who seek comfort, so I'm worried about solutions to depopulation.

I can live there alone. Gardening , fishing and hunting.

I'm from Ireland and there is a stark similarity in how people went from poverty to the modern age almost instantly. We are only 1 or maybe 2 generations from absolute poverty and agrarian living and I honestly think that we were better off back then and much happier.

Where all people?

Nice and I like your videos you are really great

I commend the last man resident, and his request for privacy is highly valued. (bowing down) Respect.

The lady using the paper map was awesome

I just love the Japanese language it is so lyrical it sounds like singing. You did a great job on this documentary.

OUTSTANDING episode!

This was so deeply moving for me, I wasn’t expecting to get so emotional at the end. All the lives this dam impacted and all the hard decisions people had to face, to say the layers of emotions are deep is an absolute understatement. The man at the end choosing not to be filmed was so admirable, my imagination is running wild with the quiet, simple but hard life he leads. Thank you so much for this video ❤️

This one hit hard.

Awesome documentary, I hope you submitted it to some festivals!
There is this thing in Japan where new things are better, almost for everything (well for a majority of people). Wondering if it might be a shinto thing, where spirits (tatari) become attached to things. It was the same in Gunkanjima, it looks like it was evacuated in a rush but it’s not the case. The result looks really poignant.

@TokyoLens, I want to live in a life style like from the movie the Last Samurai. Not the war aspect but the culture, in a small village, where everyone knows, loves and respect each other and find me a partner to settle down with and live out the rest of my life in happiness. Does this still exist in Japan?

Thank you for these videos!

I lived in Tochigi then Hachioji ken near the mountains and I had a 250cc Honda dirt bike...You could take those trails all across Honshu and tons of shrines and monasteries to stop and chat and have a beer with the locals. Beautiful vid thanks for the nostalgia.

But never once did anyone blame WWII for large-scale abandonment of villages, shrinking population, and other well known quirky things in Nihon's society. I think the connections are obvious.

I'm jealous of this - there are so many items left behind and still laying there untouched. I visited an abandoned village in Hong Kong recently and there are a lot fewer artefacts still there. Subtropical forest also consumes it mercilessly.

I can't stop thinking about Higurashi as soon as I heard the first line of narration.

It all started with a dam.


Damn.

Wow! It feels like I am watching a legit news channel documentary. From the haunting stories of the locals, the amazing scenery, and the narrative. The quality is top-notch! Thank you sir Norm for your passion for bringing us these downhearted but beautiful tales from Japan. I only know much of your videos from your visit to the thrift stores and tiny apartments. Much appreciation.

This channel is such an underrated Gem. I look forward to more of these videos and will probably binge more of your previous adventures too! Greetings from Dubai!

This is where i can live if i go

❤️

This is heartbreaking. Still love seeing time capsules of how some lives were in the past. Did the government not help people relocate? Especially those in the path of the dam?

This is such a beautiful story. The grace in which it is told is just heartwarming.

So like higarashi , it's a anime that is about a small village fightibg over a dam as half the people are either for the dam while the other half are against it .

Both parties have arguably good reasons for it and against it , it ultimately tears the town and it's people apart causing a lot of tradgies family and friends turn on each other like wild animals.


in the show and accordibg to the different endings and in most cases the dam is built but they aren't happy endings for the show.


When the show finally gets a happy endung the dam isbt built, a lot of the majority of the show has to due with the dam , though the show also focused on a lot of different things as well .

Having seen both videos now on one hand I'm amazed by the views but saddened from the progress of time and life.
These things happen for various reasons around the world and I felt your dismay over the missing guitar, I have been a fan or UrbEx since 2007 and have always been adhered to the rule of 'take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footsteps'.

Whilst I hope the trend of looting abandoned places that had occurred in Europe doesn't slowly become more commonplace in Japan but I wonder what the alternative is to prevent the countryside becoming a patchy landfill of sorts.

Great work as always, thank you.

It's nice that you go to meet the one remaining resident. Shame we couldn't meet him as well but if that's his wish then so be it.

just like higurashi when they cry