Faded and long past their population peak old Japanese towns and cities are a common theme on these pages, and in most ways, this central Japan municipality had a similar look and feel with its quiet streets and shuttered shop fronts.
Strikingly, however, there was one key difference — the location’s beautiful and long unused public bath. A facility that was once an integral part of the community until its closure in 1988, meaning that nowadays it’s merely a time capsule of sorts. One that in many ways poignantly encapsulates the town itself, along with all those like it, providing a touching reminder of a different era that is slowly but surely fading away.
Denise says
Oh my those tiles are so beautiful. 🙂
Lee says
I couldn’t agree more. A very beautiful little place.
G says
Beautiful. What’s the town?
Tomek says
The beauty of it is that it could be anywhere. 🙂
But a cursory search shows that, at least the 10th picture, is from Kanayama in Gifu, here to be more exact: 35.6605123, 137.1580916 (looking south).
Lee says
That’s the area, and yeah, so true about it being anywhere.
Paul says
The photograph of the last bath is particularly moving.
Also the ghost alley is so melancholic. One imagines the same shot in the 1980s…
Thank you, Lee.
Lee says
You are very welcome. I had a fascinating afternoon there. So true about the ghost alley too. I ate lunch in the only restaurant, and then didn’t see anyone other than those passing by in cars.