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Mar 31 2010 15 Comments

A return to Nichitsu mining town #2: The school

When entering any school it’s only natural to expect a noisy greeting from the sounds of the students within, but not in Nichitsu mining town, as an ever-dwindling number of children due to the gradual decline of the area’s mining activities meant the community’s school was eventually forced to close its doors in the early 1970s — a decision that now makes the institution a very different place indeed, even before one actually enters, with no need anymore to change from outdoor shoes, to indoor ones.

Nichitsu school

And where kids once careered down the corridors.

Nichitsu school

Or clattered in and out of classrooms, regardless of the rules.

Nichitsu school

There is now only silence.

Nichitsu school

A silence that’s all the more noticeable due to the signs of so many sounds — especially those made by the students who once studied here.

Nichitsu school

Like drums left discarded.

Nichitsu school

Or pianos that are now unplayable, let alone unplayed.

Nichitsu school

Plus a varied selection of recorded music. In this case a nostalgic piece of vinyl that for some reason T.M. didn’t take home.

Nichitsu school

Instead choosing to leave it behind in a room that’ll never again have any festive cheer funnelled through its speakers.

Nichitsu school

And in Japan, where all manner of rules are continually, almost religiously, repeated, this discarded and slightly damaged megaphone seems especially subdued.

Nichitsu school

Silently suggestive of the sounds that were once an integral, and no doubt sometimes irritating, part of the school.

Nichitsu school

For those interested, there are my original posts on Nichitsu, covering the doctor’s office, dwellings and day to day life of those who once lived there, as well as a more recent visit to the now further decayed doctor’s place.

Categorized: Haikyo, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jason Collin Photography says

    3/31/2010 at 11:45 am

    You should have brought some batteries and tried the old megaphone. If it worked, that could have scared the hell out of whoever was there with you.

    Was this classroom scene still there:

    http://www.jasoncollin.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/gunma-haikyo-urban-exploring-450.jpg

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/31/2010 at 5:12 pm

      We actually met somebody in there, which happened the first time too, so that was more than enough without the use of a megaphone.

      Yeah, that classroom is still exactly the same, but it has been done to death, and it also didn’t fit with the story I wanted to tell. That said, it’s still a beautiful room.

      Reply
      • brixter says

        9/23/2010 at 12:44 pm

        You can digg time capsules in old school such as this.

        Reply
  2. Tornadoes28 says

    3/31/2010 at 1:21 pm

    It looked like a happy place back in the day. Now it’s just kind of depressing.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/31/2010 at 5:14 pm

      For me at least, it wasn’t quite depressing, as the school just gradually wound down, but it was certainly a little sad considering all the memories the place contains.

      Reply
  3. S in Shanghai says

    3/31/2010 at 3:42 pm

    Stunning pics Lee, I like the way you mix the old pics in. I’m not sure if it’s depressing, more melancholy I will say.

    /S

    Reply
    • Lee says

      3/31/2010 at 5:17 pm

      Thanks! Yeah, the old pics were a lucky find and a nice contrast. It’s always fascinating to see how things once were. And I agree, melancholy is probably the best way of describing it.

      Reply
  4. Lizzy says

    3/31/2010 at 6:28 pm

    Fantastic as always. I’m so jealous. Perhaps T.M. wasn’t really a fan of Christmas Carols. I’m sure s/he must’ve heard the record enough times to be quite done with it. ^_^

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/1/2010 at 11:13 am

      Thanks Lizzy! Yeah, maybe. White Christmas could well have been as overplayed as Last Christmas is these days…

      Reply
  5. Rob says

    3/31/2010 at 8:34 pm

    Great pics as usual Lee 🙂 Thanks for posting these up.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/1/2010 at 11:15 am

      Thanks Rob. And you are more than welcome.

      Reply
  6. Florian says

    4/1/2010 at 12:59 pm

    Great pictures of a very, very interesting location! Too bad it’s in the middle of nowhere…

    Reply
  7. greetz says

    4/4/2010 at 10:02 pm

    Good it’s wonderful pics

    Reply
  8. Mark says

    10/7/2010 at 8:03 am

    Fascinating set of pictures. For example the picture of the hallway of the school, with the sign ‘please don’t run’ (とびだし注意) It’s easy to imagine children giving life to that place in better times, giving it a very melancholic atmosphere. On my next visit to Japan, I’ll consider looking for one of these haikyo sites too.

    Reply
  9. Edsel says

    11/2/2010 at 3:14 am

    Nice photos from here. I was out there about a week ago and it was a really nice place to explore. It looked like the first level floor in one section of the hallway was stating to cave in under the weight of some couches someone put on it.

    Here is a link to my photos if you would like to check um out
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/edsel12/sets/72157625160478099/

    Reply

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