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Feb 05 2008 10 Comments

Love hotel haikyo

Perhaps due to the mindboggling pace at which buildings go up (and indeed down) in Japan, there are plenty of abandoned lots liberally dotted around the landscape. Which, with their eerie emptiness, are much sought after spots for the curious and camera equipped alike.

Known as haikyo (ruins), their popularity among certain circles is growing, with numerous websites boasting fabulously atmospheric photos, along with several books by photographer Shinichiro Kobayashi. And, not wanting to be left out, Tokyo Times has now jumped on the abandoned building bandwagon with a suitably second-rate saunter around a languishing love hotel.

Japanese love hotel haikyo

Having taped up the sign and fenced off the building, the departing owners then simply left everything else to either rot,

Japanese love hotel haikyo

or be ransacked.

Japanese love hotel haikyo

That said, the rooms themselves still hint at their previous purpose,

Japanese love hotel haikyo

although now, whether it be either a long or short stay,

Japanese love hotel haikyo

there’s no beer in the minibar,

Japanese love hotel haikyo

and calls to restock it remain unanswered.

Japanese love hotel haikyo

Similarly, the mass of mirrors reflect only the decidedly dated decor,

Japanese love hotel haikyo

rather than any cloak-and-dagger decadence.

Japanese love hotel haikyo

Apart from that depicted on the walls that is.

Japanese love hotel haikyo

Categorized: Haikyo, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul says

    2/5/2008 at 6:08 pm

    You should check these guys out, they’d probably be quite interested to see your pics, too.

    http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/index.php

    Reply
  2. Eric says

    2/5/2008 at 7:32 pm

    If there aren’t regular visits by police or yakuza, I wonder why the homeless or squatters don’t take over such places, when they easily could.

    Reply
  3. Lee says

    2/5/2008 at 8:36 pm

    Actually Eric, there’s an old restaurant nearby, and somebody had set up home in one of the rooms there.

    I was just glad they weren’t about when I turned up.

    Reply
  4. Bunny says

    2/6/2008 at 12:03 am

    That could easily be my apartment. SHIT….. IT IS!!!!

    Reply
  5. Mike says

    2/9/2008 at 4:09 am

    Wow, I can’t believe it was so easy for you to get in there. In the west, they’d probably board everything up to make it more difficult for people to get in. Anyway cool photos!

    Reply
  6. Locksley McPherson Jnr says

    2/9/2008 at 7:32 am

    Wow, talk about neglected buildings! I’ll take one room please, erm how much for the night? haha

    Reply
  7. Lee says

    2/11/2008 at 4:06 pm

    It was actually boarded up Mike, but somebody had kindly knocked a hole through which made it easy for me to get in.

    Reply
  8. dan says

    5/8/2008 at 11:50 pm

    Hey there! I live in Tokyo and have an interest in haikyo.
    Wondering what area these photos were taken.

    I found a wonderful abandoned snack/bar in Fukui last year…really spooky…like time stopped….everything was still there…but vines had grown through the whole place!

    Reply
  9. Lee says

    5/9/2008 at 10:22 am

    They were taken near Tamako Dan, not too far from the Seibu Dome.

    Reply

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