abandoned – Page 2 – TwistedSifter

After Fukushima this Town was Abandoned but One Man Returned to Care for the Animals

After the Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 2011, an exclusion zone was established and everyone within a 20 km (12 mile) radius was ordered to evacuate.

Tomioka, a community of 16,000 people, was located inside the exclusion zone, a mere 13 km (8 mi) from Fukushima. The entire town was abandoned as people fled the radioactive area for nearby shelters. Four years later the town remains empty and has become a ghost town save for one resident, Naoto Matsumura.

When the Fukushima disaster occurred, Matsumura initially fled with all of the other residents. But the shelters were overcrowded and he couldn’t help feeling despondent knowing he had abandoned the animals on his family’s farm. So Matsumura decided to return to Tomioka to take care of the animals and live in his home he had spent his entire life in.

In addition to his own animals, Matsumura rounded up other abandoned cattle and livestock from nearby farms, taking care of them and feeding them with money and food that had been donated by others. Matsumura knew the risks but we has happier to be back in his home versus living in a shelter, completely displaced.

According to an interview with Vice, Matsumura is being bombarded with as much as 17 times the amount of radiation a normal person is. However, after being examined by medical researchers and scientists he was told that despite his exposure he would not get sick from the radiation for up to 30-40 years. “I’ll most likely be dead by then anyway, so I couldn’t care less,” Matsumura told Vice.

Matsumura says many of the dogs and cats have gone semi-feral but the cattle remain domestic, living in abandoned rice paddies and penned in by fences Naoto has constructed out of pipes. The town’s sole inhabitant, now famously known as the “guardian of Fukushima’s animals”, has no intention of leaving and plans on remaining in Tomioka for as long as his health allows.

Soures

Facebook: Naoto Matsumura
Vice: Radioactive Man
BBC: Inside Japan’s nuclear ghost zone
Bored Panda: The Radioactive Man Who Returned To Fukushima To Feed The Animals
South China Morning Post: Meet Japan’s most radioactive man and his animals
Facebook: Keiko Nasu

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60 Rare Cars Worth Millions Found in French Countryside, Untouched for 50 Years

Pictured above is a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder and a 1956 Maserati A6G 2000. The Ferrari is expected to fetch between $11.7 and $14.8 million while the Maserati A6G 2000 is expected to fetch north of a million. There are some 58 more cars going up for auction on February 4, 2015 at Retromobile Salon at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre in Paris, France.

What’s even more astounding is how this rare collection was discovered, untouched for over 50 years in the French countryside. In the excerpts below, Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff of Artcurial Motorcars tell us about their incredible find.

The story begins with Roger Bailon, an inventor and automobile enthusiast who made his fortune manufacturing trucks. After the war, the transport business was booming and Bailon had a monopoly on transporters for dangerous liquid chemicals, thanks to his design of a secure, watertight tank. Between 1955 and 1965, Bailon began to amass a significant collection of cars with the goal of one day opening an automobile museum on one of his properties. Bailon wanted the collection to celebrate the art of automotive engineering. [source]

During the 1970s before Bailon could carry out the necessary restoration work, his dreams were shattered when his business suffered a major setback. He was forced to sell some fifty cars. Since that time the remainder of the collection has remain untouched, subject only to Father time and the forces of nature. [source]

The two most notable finds (the Ferrari and Maserati) were sheltering in a garage, conserved in good condition. The Maserati is one of just three Maserati A6G Gran Sports with coachwork by Frua, dating from 1956. Beneath piles of newspapers, a Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider, with covered headlights. It had been first bought new by the actor Gérard Blain who then sold it to fellow actor Alain Delon, who was photographed several times at the wheel of this machine, including in 1964 with Jane Fonda during the filming of ‘Les Félins’ and on the Côte d’Azur with Shirley MacLaine. It’s only 1 of 37 in the world. [source]

The Bailon collection will be displayed and sold as they are, just as they were found (less some dust and cobwebs). All the cars are significant for their heritage, and Artcurial hopes that some of them will join big collections in and outside France. Perhaps even museums. Amongst the 60 cars, the estimates vary from $600 to multi-millions. [source]

The Bailon Collection: Complete List

Amilcar C6 berline, Amilcar CGS, Ariès coach, Auto Union cabriolet, Avions Voisin C15, Avions Voisin limousine C15, Avions Voisin C7 par Gallé, Ballot 8 cyl limousine, Barré torpédo, Berliet coupé chauffeur, Berliet Type VIGB 10HP Taxi Landaulet, Bugatti 57 Ventoux, Citroën Trèfle, Delage D6, Delage D8 coach, Delahaye 135 cabriolet Faget Varnet, Delahaye 135 coach Chapron

Delahaye 235 coach Chapron, Delahaye 235 coach Chapron, Delahaye 235 coupé Chapron, Delahaye Type 43 coupé chauffeur, Delahaye GFA 148 L, Delahaye Type 43 camionnette, Delaunay Belleville limousine VL8, Facel Vega Excellence, Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, Ferrari 308 GTS i, Ferrari 400, Ferrari Mondial 3.2L cabriolet, Hispano Suiza H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet, Hotchkiss cabriolet, Innocenti S cabriolet, Jaguar type S 3.4 L, La Buire 12 A

Lagonda LG45 cabriolet, Lancia Thema 8.32, Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 plateau, Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 torpédo par Grumman, Lorraine-Dietrich torpédo, Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Frua, Mathis cabriolet, Mathis FOH, Packard cabriolet Super Eight, Panhard-Levassor Dynamic berline X77, Panhard-Levassor Dynamic coupé X76, Panhard-Levassor limousine X72, Porsche 356 SC ex-Sonauto

Renault AX torpédo, Renault Vivastella cabriolet, Sandford cyclecar 3 roues, Singer Cabriolet, Talbot Lago 11/6 cabriolet, Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet, Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet, Talbot Lago, Cadette 11, Talbot Lago coach, Talbot Lago T26 coach, Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupé Saoutchik, Talbot Lago T26 Record coupé Saoutchik, Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet Saoutchik ex-Roi Farouk

Sources

– Artcurial Motorcars: Retromobile Salon 2015
– Press Release: BREAKING NEWS: ARTCURIAL DISCOVERS A FORGOTTEN TREASURE IN FRANCE
– Retromobile Salon: February 4-8, 2015
– New York Times: Trove of Valuable Antique SPorts Cars Headed for Auction in France

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Behind the Iron Curtain: An Abandoned Tour of the Eastern Bloc

In 2013, photographer Rebecca Litchfield was commissioned by Carpet Bombing Culture to photograph the abandoned buildings and areas of the former Soviet Union and its satellite states. Litchfield’s journey took her through ten countries in Eastern Europe to capture what was left from the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The result was Soviet Ghosts, a fascinating 192-page hardcover photo book with essays and articles sprinkled throughout. In an extensive blog post, Litchfield recalls:

“For me the place that had most impact on me emotionally was Chernobyl, I have visited many abandoned buildings, some of which have affected me deeply and emotionally. But never had I encountered a whole town, which had been devastated by disaster to such a degree. Decaying slowly and sadly, the town is a snapshot of how Soviet life once was. It was therefore important to me to capture and share it as it is today.”

If you’re interested to learn more about Rebecca’s journey creating this book be sure to check out her detailed blog post. For more from Rebecca, check her out at the links below.

Bulgaria – Buzludzha

Perched on top of Mount Buzludzha, this monument to Communism is the largest in Bulgaria. It is located on the site where the Bulgarian Socialists first began their clandestine meetings in 1891 later, this mountain pass witnessed perhaps the bloodiest battle yet fought in the ongoing war against the Turks. It’s no surprise then, that this location bears a great symbolic importance. Designed by Georgi Stoilov, the monument was funded by voluntary donations from the citizens of Bulgaria, and featured expensive materials such as marble and glass.

At its heart stands a huge amphitheatre, where a mural adorning the walls celebrates themes from Bulgarian and Soviet history. The 70m tower meanwhile, once bore a huge star formed from red glass. It was made in the Soviet Union, although in a display of local one-upmanship, the architects had it constructed to be three times the size of the star adorning the tower of Moscow’s Kremlin.

The monument was abandoned in 1989 and gifted to the state in 1991; since when it has been heavily looted for metal and other valuable materials. The copper that once covered the roof has been stripped away, so that the monument is now open to the elements. Once an opulent symbol of Communist rule, the Buzludzha monument today stands in a state of slow decay on top of the mountain; its thick glass windows smashed, while Bulgaria’s harsh winters bury the structure each year beneath a layer of ice and snow.

Latvia

[Irbene] In the forests of Latvia, two ex-Soviet radio telescopes and a spy centre lie abandoned. In 1967, the Soviets began a Cold War project intended to track and decode signals from US satellites. The larger of the two dishes is also the largest in northern Europe, as well as the 8th largest in the world. There were originally six in total, but others were dismantled by the Soviets. Of the two remaining, all cables were cut and acid poured over them to destroy the potential for future use.

These satellites almost suffered the same fate as the nearby secret base at Skrunda, which was completely destroyed after use; however, the facilities were saved by Latvian scientists who wanted to preserve the objects for future study. There was a lot of secrecy surrounding the activities at the base, even though a small town would develop around the antenna to house the families of those that worked there.

Not just the town itself, but this whole area was a forbidden place in Soviet times; anyone who wanted to visit people in the nearby towns would therefore need special permission to do so. Irbene was so secretive in fact, that the public only found out about it when the site was officially revealed in 1993; long after the Soviets had left.

[Skrunda] Skrunda is a former secret town, where an important Soviet radar station was once located. The installation was of great importance to the Soviets as it covered the whole of Western Europe. Here they were able to listen to objects in space, as well as tracking incoming ICBMs.

During the Cold War this secret location was closely guarded, and in time grew into a full, residential town. There were over 60 buildings in the complex, including a school, apartments, barracks, a shooting range, a gym and a theatre. Once Latvia had gained back its independence however, the Soviets were given four years to dismantle the radars. The entire town was sold at auction for just 17,000 Lats (around £20,000) but as of 2013 nothing has yet been done with the site.

Estonia

[Patarei Prison] In 1828 Tsar Nicholas 1 of Russia commissioned the construction of the prison on the Estonian coast near Tallinn. It was completed in 1840 and remained in use until 2004, a potent symbol of the troubled relationship between Estonia and Russia. The prison was a transit location for thousands of prisoners en route to the fearsome gulags in Siberia. Conditions inside the prison were horrific, with frequent overcrowding. One winter 25 inmates were housed in a cell for just seven.

The prison was the scene of many hangings, with a specific chamber devoted to this purpose. The bodies of the hanged would be thrown over the cliffs into the Baltic sea below. After the death of Stalin in 1953, the resultant thaw in the relationship between the Soviet Union and estonia led to an improvement in prison conditions, with flushing toilets and central heating installed.

Germany

[Berlin Wall] There has been no more potent symbol of the Cold War than the Berlin Wall, which was erected overnight on 12-13 August 1961. The wall sealed West Berlin within a 165.7km concrete enclosure, protected by sentry towers, bunkers, barbed wire, guard dogs, tripwires, floodlights and anti-tank emplacements. The fortifications appeared without warning, and many families were separated when the previously open border was suddenly sealed. It is estimated that at least 239 people were killed trying to escape.

In time the wall became a mural for enterprising and amateur artists, many of whom painted humorous or satirical graffiti across the concrete. Every so often, GDR border guards would supervise workers while they whitewashed the wall; only for the graffiti to reappear. The wall could never be silenced, always finding a way to voice the inhumanity that it symbolised. The last person killed at the Berlin Wall was Chris Gueffroy in February 1989, a matter of months before it finally fell on 9 November that same year.

[Military Barracks] The barracks were constructed in 1937, and used by the Germans as an elite riding & driving school. Soon after the cavalry school moved here from Hanover, and the estate would go on to produce some of Germany’s best post-war equine judges and riders.

During the late 1930s the site would be commandeered by the military and extended to incorporate over 50 buildings, including military barracks. Then, following the end of World War II, the site was occupied by the Soviet 35th Guards Motor Rifle Division; they continued to use Krampnitz as a military base and training site up until their departure in 1992, and the site has remained unoccupied since that time.

Hungary

[Máv Class 424 Steam Train] The 424 053 Mávag 424-class locomotive was made in 1941 by Mávag, chassis number 5345, vehicle number 424.127. The locomotive was renumbered several times, to 424.189 In 1961 and to 424.053 In 1982. It was used during the Communist era with a red star in front of the train. The 424s were coal burner, in the 1960s some engines were converted to burn oil, but their performance did not increase enough to compete with the diesel equipment.

U-475 Black Widow Submarine

[Foxtrot B-39 U-475 Black Widow Submarine] Used during the cold war, the black widow u-45 was a patrol and attack submarine. Between 1957 and 1983, around 75 were made by the soviet navy. This example of the black widow was commissioned in 1967 and based in Latvia. Decommissioned in 1994, the submarine was sold and used as a museum in London. During its operational use it carried 22 nuclear-tipped warheads and 53 explosive mines. Its torpedoes are disarmed. Its owner is seeking investors to restore the submarine to its former glory as it is currently in a decaying state.

Russia

[Laboratory] An abandoned pesticide laboratory in Russia, closed due to the decline of agriculture in Russia. The laboratory was primarily used for the development and research of new methods of chemical plant protection; as a consequence of reduced funding and demand however, the lab was eventually closed, its buildings left abandoned.

[Children Summer Camp] The Young Pioneer Organization was a youth movement founded by Lenin himself, which would become prolific throughout the USSR. The movement ostensibly served the purpose of ensuring that all young people were inculcated with an understanding of the role they should play in a larger collective. Individuality was not seen as a positive virtue, rather it was often considered to lead to problematic behaviour; traits such as wilfulness, or worse, rebellion.

While the family was supposed to instil this collective ethos into young people, the activities of the Young Pioneers supplemented it. Camps would offer free holidays in summer and winter, usually sponsored by the government and trade unions. Under Communism, young people were seen as an important way of remoulding society and its attitudes. In effect, the state sought to create a new ’Socialist personality’; and so even at a summer camp, the activities on offer would have been carefully selected with this goal in mind.

Ukraine – Pripyat/Chernobyl

When the Chernobyl Power Plant was built in 1970, many of the facility’s staff were housed in the nearby city of Pripyat. Around 50,000 people once lived here, spread across 160 buildings that had contained a total of 13,400 apartments. This forward-thinking urban development had featured 3 indoor swimming pools, 2 sports stadiums, 35 playgrounds, 15 primary schools, 5 secondary schools and a technical college; there was a hospital that could hold around 400 patients, while the green streets of Pripyat were lined with over 250,000 trees and shrubs.

After the nuclear disaster in 1986 however, the whole city was forcibly evacuated for fear of radiation poisoning. Now those trees and shrubs are the only inhabitants left, in a sprawling city reduced to broken bricks.

Pripyat’s Hospital No. 126 consists of 5 large buildings, each of them 6 storeys in height. In the wake of its sudden abandonment, medical equipment, beds, bottles, babies’ cribs and other equipment were all left to rust and rot away.

In the hospital’s basement meanwhile, lie the uniforms of the firemen who lost their lives in the days that followed the disaster. They were admitted to the hospital after exposure to the extreme radiation, and were later taken to Moscow hospital where they died in care. To this day, their uniforms register dangerously high radiation levels.

There are many kindergartens in Pripyat. These buildings remain perhaps the most chilling places to see, as they serve such a stark reminder; a reminder of the innocent children who fell victim to the radiation and subsequent sickness.

Most of the kindergartens still contain the toys of the children, which today lay strewn across the floors. Many of the beds are still made and, hauntingly, gas masks appear scattered from room to room. These grotesque masks were intended to offer protection in case of chemical attacks, but ultimately, nothing could prevent the radiation sickness that spread as a result of the Chernobyl disaster.

Pripyat’s ‘Luna Park’ was a new development in the city, scheduled to open as a part of the May Day celebrations in 1986. It stood just behind the Palace of Culture, featuring a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a carousel ride and swing boats.

The Chernobyl disaster struck just days before the opening ceremony however, and the Luna Park never saw its intended use. The park did provide just a few bittersweet hours of entertainment, though as the citizens of Pripyat awaited the official notice of evacuation, the Luna Park opened its gates to provide a distraction from the smoke clouds that brewed ominously on the horizon.

Click Here for More Information on Soviet Ghosts

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Picture of the Day: Canary Islands Shipwreck

Photograph by Wollex at the German language Wikipedia

Seen here (taken 2 July 2004) is the shipwrecked American Star (formerly SS America) at Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. SS America was an ocean liner built in 1940 and designed by the noted naval architect William Francis Gibbs. She carried many names in the 54 years between her construction and her 1994 wrecking. The boat had a length of 722 ft 3 in (220.14 m).

On New Year’s Eve 1993, American Star left Greece for Phuket, Thailand, towed by Ukrainian tugboat Neftegaz-67. When the one hundred day tow began; American Star and Neftegaz 67 entered a thunderstorm in the Atlantic. The tow lines broke and six or more men were sent aboard American Star to reattach the emergency tow lines. This proved unsuccessful. Two other towboats were called to assist Neftegaz 67. On 17 January, the crew aboard American Star was rescued by helicopter. The ship was left adrift. On 18 January, the ship ran aground off the west coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. [source]

Within the first 48 hours of grounding, the pounding surf of the Atlantic broke the ship in two just past the second funnel. The ship was declared a total loss on 6 July 1994. The stern section collapsed completely to port and sank in 1996, while the bow remained intact. In November 2005, the port side of the bow section collapsed, which caused the liner’s remains to assume a much sharper list and the remaining funnel to detach and fall into the ocean. [source]

The collapse of the port side also caused the hull to begin to break up and by October 2006, the wreck had almost completely collapsed onto its port side. In April 2007 the starboard side finally collapsed causing the wreck to break in half and fall into the sea. Since then, what little remained has been slowly disappearing beneath the waves. As of March 2013, the wreck is only visible during low tide. [source]

via Wollex on Wikipedia

Picture of the Day: Abandoned Courtyard

Photograph by Roberto Venegoni

In this eerily serene capture, we see an overgrown courtyard at an abandoned psychiatric hospital. I came across the photo while looking through abandoned images on Flickr. Photographer Roberto Venegoni didn’t specify the exact location of the derelict building, but you can see more images from the set here.

via Roberto Venegoni on Flickr

Picture of the Day: An Abandoned Mall Overtaken by Fish

Photograph by Jesse Rockwell | tasteoftheroad.com

Down a nondescript soi (Thai term for side-street) in the old town of Bangkok you will find the abandoned New World shopping mall. Travel photographer Jesse Rockwell ventured beyond the ‘Do Not Enter’ sign and discovered a flooded building overrun with koi and catfish. On his travel blog, A Taste of the Road, Rockwell explains:

Originally constructed as an eleven storey building. It was found to be in breach of old town Bangkok’s four storey limit on building heights. The top seven floors were demolished to adhere to building codes in 1997. In 1999 the mall burned due to suspected arson committed by a competitor in the area. The disaster resulted in several casualties, and the building has remained abandoned ever since. Not having a roof, the basement floor remains under several feet of water year round.

At some point in the early 2000′s an unknown person began introducing a small population of exotic Koi and Catfish species. The small population of fish began to thrive and the result is now a self-sustained, and amazingly populated urban aquarium. [source]

You can find more pictures of this fascinating ‘urban aquarium’ on Rockwell’s blog.

A Taste of the Road via The Verge

Surreal Underwater Photo Shoot with Freedivers on a Shipwreck in Bali

Earlier this year, artist and photographer (and fellow Canadian!) Benjamin Von Wong ventured to Bali for the photo shoot of a lifetime. The always ambitious photographer envisioned an underwater shoot with freedivers amongst a shipwreck 25 meters (82 ft) beneath the surface.

To pull off the project, Von Wong assembled a team that consisted of seven divers and two freediving models, Nora Li and Camilla Argent (Nora and Camilla can hold their breath for 3:36 and 4:40 respectively). Shooting underwater carries a unique set of challenges, as Von Wong outlines in his informative blog post:

– Normal clothes couldn’t be rented since the sea water would wreck them, so they had to find a designer willing to part with the clothing they’d lend them (h/t Ali Charisma)
– Normal assistants wouldn’t work, specially trained safety divers were going to be necessary to ensure a smooth photo shoot
– Scouting would be complicated – local divers would be necessary for them to navigate around the wreck and deal with unpredictable changes in the weather and tide
– Lighting and gear would be limited – shooting underwater meant that they had to work with what was available: on camera strobes or natural light

The shoot was a huge success and you can see a few of the results along with a couple behind the scenes photos. Also embedded below is a behind the scenes video shot by Chindianboy Studios. The viral video has already been viewed nearly 750,000 times and offers a glimpse into the effort that goes into a complex shoot like this.

For more from Von Wong, be sure to check him out at the online links below.

[via PetaPixel]

BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

1.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

2.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

3.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

4.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

5.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

6.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

Behind the Scenes
with Benjamin Von Wong

8.

Photograph by BENJAMIN VON WONG
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Blog

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This Stadium Was Home to 3 Sports Teams. Zeppelin, Elvis, Floyd and The Who Played Here

On 23 August 1975 the Pontiac Silverdome officially opened its doors. For 22 years it was the largest stadium in the National Football League (NFL). The stadium complex, which sat on 127 acres (51 ha) of land, had a capacity of 80,000+.

The Silverdome hosted the Detroit Lions of the NFL (1975–2001), the Detroit Pistons of the NBA (1978–1988), the Detroit Express (for both outdoor and indoor soccer) of the NASL (1978–1980), the Michigan Panthers of the USFL (1983–1984), the NBA All-Star Game (1979), Super Bowl XVI (1982) and four first-round games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. [source]

Here’s a brief list of notable performers who played at the Pontiac Silverdome over the years:

December 6, 1975 – The Who (attended by 75,962 fans)
December 31, 1975 – Elvis Presley (his first New Year’s Eve show, attended by 62,500 fans)
April 30, 1977 – Led Zeppelin (attended by 76,229 fans)
March 5, 1978 – Kenny Rogers and Dottie West (attendance of over 60,000 fans)
August 17-19, 1984 – The Jacksons performed three concerts during their Victory Tour
September 4, 1985 – Bruce Springsteen performs to record crowd for “Born in the USA” tour
August 7, 1987 – Madonna’s Who’s That Girl World Tour with 56,000 attendance
July 21, 1992 – Guns N’ Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour with Faith No More as opening act.
July 15, 1994 – Pink Floyd perform Dark Side of the Moon in entirety for 1st time since 1975

On 29 March 1987, the World Wrestling Federation’s WrestleMania III set the record for the largest attendance for a live indoor sporting event in North America with 93,173 spectators. That record stood until 14 February 2010 when the NBA All-Star Game broke the indoor sporting event record with an attendance of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium.

The record-setting 93,173 attendance was the largest in the Silverdome’s history. However that record only stood for 4 months as on 7 August 1987 Pope John Paul II held mass at the Silverdome with an attendance of 93,682. To this day it is the largest attendance in the stadium’s history. [source]

This is What the Pontiac Silverdome Looks Like Today

Photograph by DETROITURBEX.COM

A Rainy Day at the Silverdome, 2014

For more pictures and info, visit DETROITURBEX.com

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A Tour of Japan Through the Lens of an Urban Explorer

Canadian photographer Chris Luckhardt (featured previously) travels the world in search of adventure and exploration. He specializes in documenting abandoned places and his travels through visual storytelling. His work has been featured on ABC News, The Weather Channel, MSN, The Daily Mail, Buzzfeed and many more. Chris has travelled throughout Japan six times, including a 2-month residency in Yokohama. As he explains:

“Japan is one of the most unique cultures in the world. Its homogeneous society, mountainous topography, and colourfully rich architecture and traditions offer a fertile ground for countlessly interesting photography opportunities. This series of photos is meant to highlight the beauty of Japan.”

The photo tour below is a perfect example of Chris’ visual storytelling. Follow along as we journey through Japan from high above Tokyo, to abandoned relics and famous monuments across the country. For more amazing photography, be sure to check out Chris at the links below.

CHRIS LUCKHARDT
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Tokyo from Above

The sprawling metropolis of Tokyo, home to almost 36 million people, is best viewed from above. Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree are the best places to see the extent of Tokyo’s urban reach.

Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world at 634 meters (Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building). The tower, opened in 2012, offers a spectacular view of Tokyo and the surrounding area. Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance on a clear day. Sunsets and night scenes from the tower are particularly awe inspiring.

Tokyo Tower, opened in 1958 and reaching 333 meters, also provides a stunning view of Tokyo. Due to the new popularity of Tokyo Skytree, this tower is often quicker to access for a wide view of the surrounding metropolis.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are ground zero to two of the most devastating moments in human history. The atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima detonated 580 meters above ground near the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall (later renamed as Genbaku Dome or A-Bomb Dome). Despite its proximity to the blast, the building’s reinforced concrete construction enabled it to become one of the few structures to remain (at least partially) standing. Approximately 75,000 people died instantly and virtually every other building was destroyed. The dome’s ruins have been preserved as a symbol of future peace.

Nagasaki was the site of the second wartime atomic bombing. Due to crosswinds, the bomb detonated off target in an area confined by a narrow valley, but the devastation was still catastrophic. An estimated 40,000-75,000 people were instantly killed. This site marks the detonation point of the bomb, which is now a beautiful park and memorial.

Fukushima

The second worst nuclear power plant accident in history occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant during the aftermath of the “Great East Japan Earthquake” of March 2011. Damage to the plant caused radiation to spread across Fukushima prefecture. Outside the current 30km exclusion zone, the constant fear of radiation exposure looms, but life must continue.

Wakamiya Ōji – Kamakura, Kanagawa

Japan is famous for its Cherry Blossoms (or Sakura) that primarily bloom in March and April. Large crowds turn out at parks, shrines and temples for viewing.

Itsukushima Island / Miyajima

Itsukushima Shrine is a shinto shrine, near Hiroshima, on the island of Itsukushima (popularly referred to as Miyajima). The shrine is famous for its torii gate, which appears to float during high tide. The shrine was off-limits to “commoners” throughout most of its history. Maintaining the island’s purity is considered important, meaning no deaths, births or burials are permitted.

The 5-story Pagoda on Miyajima was constructed in 1407 and is one of five similar structures in Japan. The Buddha of Medicine is enshrined inside.

Kawasaki, Kanagawa

Snow rarely falls in the Tokyo area. When there is snow, it usually melts quickly. In January 2013, the Tokyo area received its worst snowfall in decades; the metropolitan area was essentially shut down. This woman was one of the countless people struggling to walk through the snow covered streets of Kawasaki. Despite her pointed steel heeled boots she made it to her next shopping stop without falling down!

Hashima Island / Nara Dreamland

Haikyo (or “ruins”) is the term used in Japan to describe the art of urban exploration. People often think of Detroit and America’s rust belt when hearing the phrase urban exploration, but Japan also has a wide range of beautifully haunting abandoned places.

Hashima Island is one of the most famous abandoned places in the world. The island is located 15km off the coast of Nagasaki in the southern region of the country. The tiny island city, owned by Mitsubishi since 1880, was the center of a large coal mining operation. When coal use plummeted, Mitsubishi closed the mine and moved all of the residents and workers off of the island. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Hashima Island’s abandonment. The island has gained further notability for being featured as the villain’s lair in the James Bond film Skyfall.

Due to the popularity of Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan has become the home of several abandoned theme parks. Nara Dreamland was a thriving copy of California’s Disneyland, but closed in 2006 due to declining attendance. Imagining the playful laughter of children that once occupied what is now a silent, misty theme park is a haunting experience.

Haikyo / Urban Exploration

Gifu prefecture, an industrial region of Japan, is home to several abandoned places. Two examples, a Buddhist temple and a wooden constructed school, demonstrate typical Japanese architecture of the early 20th century.

Deep underground in the Kanagawa region of Japan is a series of tunnels spanning 27km (according to conservative estimates). They were built during World War 2 as protection from United States air raids. The tunnel system was intricate; it was home to a 500 bed hospital, power plant, numerous warehouses and even a submarine factory!

Statues and Temples

Great Buddha is a 93 ton, 13.35m tall bronze statue located in Kamakura. The statue was constructed in 1252 and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.

Another unique cultural and architectural element of Japan is its castles. Unlike it’s European counterparts, Japan’s castles were not built with defense as a strategy. The castle walls only contained the castle itself and not a castle town. They also had uniques stylings such as angled base walls, tiled roofs and were much smaller than European castles.

CHRIS LUCKHARDT
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Randall Park was Once the World’s Largest Shopping Mall. This is What it Looks Like Today

At the time of its opening in 1976, Randall Park Mall was the “world’s largest shopping center” boasting 2 million square feet of retail space. Developer Edward De Bartolo built the mall on the site of the Randall Race Track in the village of North Randall, Ohio. At the time of its opening, North Randall’s population was 1,500 and the mall’s employee population was 5,000. After decades of decline the mall was officially closed in March 2009. Today it stands abandoned, a relic of the past.

In a recently published book entitled, Black Friday – The collapse of the American Shopping Mall, activist and photographer Seph Lawless (pseudonym) documented abandoned shopping malls in Ohio.

In an interview with The Weather Channel, Lawless recalls:

“There’s nothing more profound and sobering than being inside an abandoned mall. It’s a powerful symbol of America’s economic decline. I used to visit these malls often growing up. I remember eating cotton candy underneath the escalator and the sounds of people laughing and feet shuffling as the gentle sounds of falling water from one of the many fountains surrounding me. This was America.”

Lawless is known for exploring abandoned spaces and documenting their imminent collapse. In 2012, he set out across the United States to photograph the “most broken parts of America.” He came back with approximately 3,000 images and 17 hours of video footage. Earlier this year Lawless released his book, Autopsy of America, a culmination of that work.

[via The Weather Channel]