These haikyo hospitals always attract me, especially the very old ones in Japan. They possess magical and enchanting powers; thus when you walk around, there tends to be many mysterious encounters.
A house in the middle of the forest is reminiscent of the adventures of Hansel and Gretel. This one is unfortunately not made of gingerbread, but maybe we will discover an old witch and her stupendous stories?
Aokigahara, known as Japan’s suicide forest, is a unique place in other ways. Silent, no wildlife in sight, magnificent trees and shrubs, and really easy to lose yourself in.
I am a great fun of abandoned hospitals, they are my favorite type of haikyo. Not those empty concrete buildings, but the small wooden clinics rotting away quietly in the countryside without anyone noticing.
I have always liked abandoned Japanese schools. Not only they are sleeping beautifully far away in forgotten countrysides but they are also the cradle of the Japanese soul.
Nara Dreamland was an abandoned amusement park. I've just spent a year in Nara (2015-2016), a kilometre from the park, so it's time for me to write a little epilogue.
Hidden below the Tokyo streets is a true superhero – a bitumen-washed facility with state-of-the-art technology and an architectural beauty to put a Corbusier or two in the shade. This is G-Cans, also known by...
Offbeat Japan is a blog about alternative travel in Japan. You will discover here another Japan, off the beaten path. All the content is created by Jordy Meow and doesn't have any sponsors. Please enjoy the visit!
The charming village of Yokaichi, in the countryside of Shikoku island, takes you back to the Meiji era. Its beautiful wooden houses are worth a lingering look.
Terunobu Fujimori is an architect and historian of architecture. He began his building career relatively late, in his early forties. Before that, he had forged a solid reputation as an academic.
Sagano, better known as Arashiyama, is a vast area in Ukyo-ku district, northwest of Kyoto city, encircled by Mounts Ogura and Atago and the Katsura river.
This oddly designed tower is a cenotaph, in other words a funerary monument that doesn’t contain human remains but was erected in memory of a person, or group of people.
It’s early. I call on my host: couldn’t you recommend an island around here for my morning constitutional? Of course, he told me. So join my mate on his boat down there. He’ll take you to his place! On Goat Island...