Exploring Japan's Most Amazing Ghost Town

[@TokyoLensExplore]

The hike out to this town had my heart racing a bit... I was genuinely nervous this time

[@cheriestl]

Would you have had a way to contact emergency services? Would they have come?

[@greylocke100]

When hiking in the woods like that, I recommend bringing along a hiking staff. Thumping it into the ground as you walk, gives critters notice that you are coming through, and they move out of the way. Many times I've hiked along thumping along with my staff then I would hear animals moving away from me as I went. I've seen bears, deer, raccoons, snakes, rabbits and many other critters moving away from where I was traveling.

[@arkangeln910c8]

I would be too. I even probably would not have the courage to go alone. You are more courageous, because bears are really something to be afraid of.

[@stephenbutler1805]

At the risk of sounding ignorant and possibly doing a Gaijin Smash, what is the reason for not entering the shrine? I would have loved seeing it closer inside. Was it a safety thing or some kind of custom I'm not aware of?

[@rav5ffx]

Answering your question about which adventure felt best. From the abandoned series it will be abandoned school with tunel and a bridge, but from the total of your videos it is the hidden shrine of akihabara and rooftop series. I visited that same shrine this year. I also dragged my friends all over Inari shrine (not that they complained). Your channels are what helped me convince those friends that it is worth to venture away from the beaten, touristy path. Thank you for that :) Also, I am considering renting a camper next time. Do you think it is a good idea or is a camper to big for less traveled roads?

[@MagiaMuzicii]

Turbo Granny just Chilling in the tunnel

[@stuborn-complaining-german]

That's exactly what I thought too...😆

[@DropaBombOnM]

(For those who don't know, it's a reference to the 2021 "Dan Da Dan" manga & 2024 anime.)

[@DarrenJZ]

Same thought exactly 😅

[@mochamadfaisalfitrah5104]

😂

[@AA-qc8et]

I’ll give her my weenie

[@TheGunnarRoxen]

That village must have been so gorgeous when it was full of life. Sad that it faded away, but thank you for sharing it while being respectful.

[@darcieclements4880]

I'm really curious what people who live in such a small and treacherous village lake this would do for a living. There's nowhere up here for farming other than the fruit trees and that's definitely not enough to survive off of. It looks like a lot of the homes started to clear out in the '90s and there are even satellite dishes so clearly people had some sort of job they could do from here.

[@jameslong3936]

This is the beginning of Spirited Away!!! 🫣

[@russellruby1293]

i noticed this too its spirited away for sure

[@peteraffinass]

Exactly my thought ❤

[@edwinrivas8967]

DandaDan

[@danielking2576]

I thought that too!! My daughters and I used to watch that movie so much we loved it and still do 20 years later

[@ginkodragon]

Is this where Hayao Miyazaki got the inspiration for his movie?

[@PoinYo]

As Japanese,thanks for showing such an old place where we can't access so easily.I want you to show this movie to people who lived in this abandon vilvage before.I guess they really want to see how the village is going on.They might be no longer any more,but their children or grandchildren might be wanting to see their lifetree history.I really hope someone who connect to this village will find this movie😊

[@user-yun-i5k]

I did find the village on my own, one of the local guide's posted that the residents of the village still live nearby and that they frequent the area to see how things are and so do the fire department too. The village has become a popular destination due to its views.

[@PoinYo]

Thanks for letting me that.I'm so glad to hear that.Thanks😊

[@111PuLiS]

The view from the last house makes me feel the longing that the people who used to live there must feel. Immagine waking up to that everyday and having to leave, knowing that you were the last person to love that house.

[@CleverGirlAAH]

watching boats come and go

[@jessicahawks3223]

I feel that the villagers that got that installed that rail system really tried to hardest they could to stay in that area as long as they could. Its so beautiful and can see the reason..thank you for sharing

[@christopherharris6005]

Awesome video as always Norm. It’s always so awesome when you’re exploring abandoned places you really get to see the real history and culture in the rural areas of Japan. Thanks for letting us come along with you on your adventures.

[@z0hm]

I appreciate you being respectful and thoughtful when visiting these places. Some of these homes look like the owners left without taking a thing with them. The black stain on the floor around 22 minutes made me recall something me and my wife saw a few years back when we went to an apartment showing. The house was cheap and needed renovations. In the bedroom was a dark stain on the floor where the previous owner had lied for days after a stroke. Perhaps this is not what happened here, but then again these abandoned villages are remote places and likely the last residents were old people.

[@gingerl.1336]

That's unfortunately highly possible 😢

[@Cucu22DR]

That view from the last house was breathtakingly beautiful. 😮

[@lulu-jpg]

I was gonna say the same. Thinking that people or maybe even a family used to hangout there to enjoy the scenery makes me both happy and sad.

[@keitarotaru]

These sorts of abandoned village walk through videos are so enjoyable to watch! Seeing a village frozen in time, getting a glimpse at what life was like for a small area in the past. I'm always enthralled watching these. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@TokyoLensExplore]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@spinzz29]

The urge to live in the house at 44:00. Had the best view with the beautiful garden area. It's so amazing

[@lorenstribling6096]

What life must have been like in the 17th and 18th centuries with people walking those narrow paths and climbing those stairs. It is so isolated but so beautiful.

[@Nacimin]

This is my first video from your channel and it is just wonderful!!! The landscape is magnificent, the sense of walking in an historical place is strong, and i completely agree with you on the reasons why you did not post the place name. Preserving such places is really important, so thank you for everything!!

[@Ceiling_Gato]

I never realized how beautiful Japanese nature is

[@rizielv9040]

Lots of Yokais and bakemono in Japan.

[@jamesholleman2083]

Japan is crazy wonderful, wish I could go back for awhile.

[@rztrzt]

2:22 That's a 4th gen E70 ('79-'83) Toyota Corolla.

[@ChrisBeYT]

What i like about these villages is that they still respect and keep the nature around and not destroy everything around the village to built it. They integrated it into the surroundings

[@Cinetyk]

This has to be one of the best videos I've seen of this genre in your channels or any other channels. The sheer steepness of all the inclines and, like you said, the effort if must have taken to bring in the materials, landscape the level areas and then build stuff in... it's insane. The shrine is awesome and hard to believe it's there. And the ingenuity of the mono-rail system and the pulley system. Also, that mono-rail system feels like it took real courage to ride up and down, the real rollercoaster feeling. That view at the end is just insanely gorgeous and beautiful. Excellent video, thanks for all the work!

[@PsionNovastar]

My god, the woodwork on that entire shrine was amazing... Nearly a decade since the last person left and still looks pretty well preserved. Trolly was pretty ingenious too.

[@ZarchiArts]

Ok, I didn't understand much of what you said since I don't speak English, but the view and the tranquility that this video gives is spectacular. I love it.😭😭😭

[@daveylacy]

There is a very high probability that the shrine you found is still being somewhat maintained. Probably not monthly but I’d imagine that someone from an associated shrine comes by yearly.

[@Born_Texan]

As I watch this I imagine what life must've been like here 300 years ago, children playing and the many people living in this village going about their daily lives and the hard work it must've taken to create such a beautiful place to live in. To me it's so sad to see it just falling away back into nature and makes me think these old homes are sad and miss their humans 😔. Thank you for your hard work and taking me on this beautiful journey.

[@cheyennemoore8380]

This for sure brightened my day. Thank you, Norm. I appreciate you doing these as someone who can't easily hike and wouldn't be able to see it all. Thank you so much! I loved these on both channels and this one is so beautiful. Thank you. I wish I could have seen this village in its heyday, but this was really pretty too. Thank you again so much.

[@MatthewHall]

Thank you for the video. I'm glad that despite the town, houses, and shrines being vacated, people still respect the space and don't deface it with graffiti.

[@Swineflu-jm7wx]

I've enjoyed it to every last bit, thank you for the journey

[@Str0ngSad]

this video fills me with melancholy, i wish I could move somewhere like this

[@lisayell5616]

This was my first video from you and it was amazing!! I love seeing old villages and just wonder what they used to look like when they were active with their inhabitants!!! I will continue exploring through you!!! Thank you!!

[@MiddleAgedSwedeGoesForAWalk]

An amazing place! Riding a "rollercoaster" to your home is certainly something that would've appealed to my younger self :) Though I can also understand that for practical reasons it might not be the most convenient place to live so I can understand why people would've moved out, even if it is a shame to see a place where people have lived for several centuries get abandoned.

[@wolfdruidradio]

What a beautiful place, and so simple and aged, it brings feelings of nostalgia even though I've never been before

[@crystalnoname6046]

Imagine living there back in the day and being the mailperson having to deliver to all those houses! Thank you Norm for being so respectful about the places you explore and encouraging others to do the same so folks can continue enjoying them in the future. These places may long be abandoned but if everyone isn't respectful the places won't around be much longer period because like you said the government will come in and make the problem go away.

[@Rethaxian]

Thank you for sharing this place and for protecting it.

[@Wichitan]

That area with the giant rock looks like it was an outdoor shrine. There sure looks to be a kami residing in that rock...

[@dash5257]

I have a feeling that last house was the one that was last to leave in 2015. What amazing views that village had, imagine living there when it was fully populated.

[@sarahramos2919]

The mind is a funny thing. I find myself holding my breath for your safety while knowing full well that you’re in the chat and beyond the scary bits. 😆 It’s been a mixed few months, but I am so grateful for these moments to reset and rest in Japan, via these videos. Thank you! Take care!

[@GonzalezSix67]

Such gorgeous places I’ll never get to visit 😔 I love watching these types of places on KZbin. Visually soak in every pixel on the screen.

[@daisyrosario3438]

Absolutely stunning scenery from that last house,Norm! Love it!❤

[@wildflower0619]

This place is beautiful. I can almost taste the humidity in the air.

[@ichmood12]

this looks like my grandfathers village its so nostalgic

[@Just1Nora]

I love being able to go along on these walks with you as I'm unable to go myself. I miss even getting out in my city and just wandering through the woods. As a kid and up until college my best friend and I would spend a lot of time just walking around and hanging out. These walks remind me of that. Our city is also hilly af, so it was often a trek! One of my favorite videos was the one where you veered off and just walked down the trails in the woods. Everything was so lush and green. It reminded me of my few favorite places in the Blueridge Mountains in NC and VA.

[@derptothemaxclearly]

What's most remarkable to me is that those buildings and things haven't decayed by now. Where I live, everything would be rotted through or covered in moldy rust. It looks like you could use a simple non Contact Voltage Tester too. That way you'll never have to do any guesses work when it comes to electricity.

[@Cutiepies-w1t]

Looks like it would have been an interesting village to live back in the day.

[@mrmoki2]

Genuinely incredible to be able to see the inside of some of those houses... Thanks for sharing, Norm!

[@Cj-bw3hn]

Its crazy, when I think of Japan, I think of peace, tranquility and kindness. Along with very intelligent people. I know with how human nature is that it's not all true. But its nice to think it is that way. Thank you for sharing with us. 😊

[@LifesHourglass]

ah.........man...... japanese countryside, sun pouring into the earth, calmness in the air. your video is working as therapy for me, im going thro a really tuff time i can't ever explain in words and somehow when things are beginning to settle down i wanted to watch your exploration and the from the intro to the end, for me therapy. thank you for making, love Mahfuj

[@maui8084]

Wow, that was so cool. The views from the top at the very end were so beautiful. I loved that the shrines were intact. So cool.

[@joshuamstark]

I absolutely love these explore videos, Norm! Was just talking to a friend about your Nakasendo trail walks.

[@Kris-rf1mo]

Happy I found your video. I will have to check out more. I really connected with your respectfulness and all of your observations.

[@onceuponagarden21]

Tunnel...always a good start

[@artphotognh]

I adore our American ghost towns, but this was a whole new level! The scenery is breathtaking, the gorgeous shrine is magical, and the tram is both ingenious and absolutely needed for slopes that steep!

[@marilynyoung8343]

I'm so grateful for the fact you don't say the locations. I think it is so sad to hear how you go back and they have been defaced. Thank you for what you do Norm it's such a treasure. 😊

[@soggycroissant8883]

He shouldn't have mentioned it was near a JR station it took practically 5 minutes to find lol

[@kvikerplays1684]

@@soggycroissant8883 which one lol

[@soggycroissant8883]

@@kvikerplays1684 35°10'37"N 137°48'59"E Also the school from a previous video is at: 34°03'05"N 135°47'33"E

[@kvikerplays1684]

@@soggycroissant8883 thanks

[@Inthegarage685]

Japan is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing these wonderful scenic views

[@sanay13]

Loved this video so much, Norm! And I actually thought about your point on the effort and work it took to build this stuff on the mountain when I was climbing Mt Misen a few days ago. To bring so much material up a mountain like that is just unbelievable!

[@Thinkingofsomebrunch]

This village has definitely entered my top 5 favorite places that you’ve visited! I really enjoyed it, the views were so beautiful! Amazing that ppl lived there! That was their day in & day out. Thanks Norm for an incredible adventure!😁

[@S0K0N0MI]

This video was both exciting and relaxing. Thank you for sharing!

[@orangerat2930]

Thanks Norm, was very interesting to see this! The monorail system they instaled is so awesome and shows how much life there was; almost luxurious to built that. This video made my day, again thanks! Have a nice one, greets from switzerland.

[@myggggeneration]

This was mesmerizing and intriguing. My favorite abandoned village so far :-) I just love untouched or reclaimed nature -- dotted with subtle hints of civilization :-) .

[@LetsgowithHyro]

That view was so amazing! Love all of the little shrines (altar). I'm thinking of making one in my garden so this one was an extra special walk!

[@catwatson2795]

That last view would be amazing to wake up too. What a magical place ❤

[@llamedos1977]

The temptation to camp there overnight, the silence must be intoxicating. My Audhd would love to experience this just once!

[@fionamacdonald7481]

This video and that view from the top of the village made my day. What a lovely location! So sad it’s all abandoned now. I would have loved to see that little cargo train in action.

[@timesthree5757]

I don't have a special place in Japan but one in my homeland of Arkansas. It's a ghost town called Rush, Arkansas. My Grandma was born their.

[@FoxyfloofJumps]

This whole video gives me very mild vertigo. But it's worth it. You are cataloging and sharing this place, so it isn't lost forever. The climb down is what would absolutely ruin me mentally. Down is so much harder for me than up.

[@richardwarnock2789]

Thank's for the Tour!!!

[@PhantomCatMusic]

Fun times. The logistics of building and maintaining properties in areas like this actually kind of intrigues me (like the monorail trolley system). Makes you wonder how long that system kept the place going for just a little longer before eventually being abandoned like this.

[@strangevision99]

It'd be interesting if any footage existed of that village when it was occupied, especially if that rail system was in use.

[@BethDoublekickChick]

Yeah I'd love to see those little trains working, it really appeals to the child in me

[@pauljs75]

The TV in one abandoned house was something from the 1990's, given how it was designed. So there may be some VHS-C tapes out there somewhere. But whether that video gets transferred? Who knows? Also language barrier finding such things for many enjoying the scenery from elsewhere in the world via internet.

[@ThePaperSparrow.]

What a stunning and peaceful place. Very special.

[@DmcDampe]

What an amazing video, i didn't expect it to be this when it started on that tunnel. The vibes of this place are amazing, it feels like it will be filled with spirits the moment the night arrives

[@mauriceclark4870]

What a precipitous. Walk. Very. Scenic. Nice. Place. To spend. The day magic. !

[@frauleintrude6347]

This was a beautiful little shrine. Sadly no one will take care of it. I wonder why someone decided to build a tiny village high up at such a steep hillside. What was their profession, their livelihoods? Farming seems to be unlikely. In a fairytale it would have been a bandits nest.

[@chey7691]

Mining, hunting and fishing for freshwater river fish most likely. And you can garden for yourself and your family, you just would need to be choosey about how you do it.

[@jmpsthrufyre]

I wonder how many former residents still see the old views from the village when going to sleep and dreaming. It happens to me still, waking up thinking I'm still at my old locale. Needing to reorient ( no pun) myself, and left with a deep feeling of Jamais Vu.

[@curryandrice7764]

Thank you. I am a very firm believer in documenting, preserving, and archiving any bit of history. Be it large or small, intact or decaying. Even things most folk will find "insignificant" and "useless". It may not have been part of our own history, or part of our personal story book, but LIFE existed in these places once, the things residing in those places had life. History. I find it very important to record these things in whatever way one can to preserve it. The inevitable will happen eventually, be it from natural events or artificial from greedy humans. History is precious, no matter how small. (Pardon my adhd ramblings 🍻 )

[@becki.p]

This is such an incredibly beautiful location! Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@janmccraw5208]

Hi Norm!! I enjoy your videos so much, esp. the abandoned, seldom traveled ones. This village had the most awesome views. So beautiful !! If i had lived here it would have broken my heart to have to leave it. Thank you so much for giving us a chance to experience it with you !!

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Thank you for the lovely hike on such a beautiful day. I am a bit surprised they haven't removed that abandoned car.

[@samisweetbean]

This place is so beautiful 😍 I don't think I'd have the courage to go out and explore somewhere like this by myself, or even with someone else to be honest. Thank you Norm for sharing this town and the other abandoned places you've been to!

[@eddiegomez7566]

What a very beautiful place in the view is just gorgeous. Thank you for making this trip.

[@PRR1954]

Thank you, Norm, for documenting this village, and the amazing low-tech engineering around 15:12. We have a little of this in the Maine woods, but not so clever, and mostly undocumented.

[@AngelasNoFrillsASMR]

So interesting. Love love love your voice. The crunchy walkways. The stories. Everything. New sub

[@talkdtwo]

That was fun and interesting. And that you saw a snake and went back to show us the tram, I'm not sure if I was amazed or horrified. Hahahaha. You have courage to explore on your own like that. I don't have that, so I'm glad you do and I can watch this through your eyes. Thanks.

[@Gearfeathers]

Always a pleasure to join you on one of these adventures! Thank you for sharing!

[@sakshamdhanda3759]

This looks like girl's village from "Your Name" anime on top of mountain. Beautiful experience for me. It must have been village where people enjoyed each others company, life was blooming there, all of sudden everything fades away and remaning stuff is memory of people how they must have lived there. Everything they build really required effort especially the pulley system. I can imaging children running around, people praying into those shrines, people spending time with each other. But now there is nothing. Sorry for my english. But I really wanted to share my feelings.

[@o0Yarrow0o]

Always a pleasure to be able to experince these places through you.

[@TokyoLensExplore]

Right?!

[@EarwigTV]

Would have loved to see that trolly back in its prime

[@kalika424]

I'm sad I missed the premier, but I'm here and thank you for sharing such beautiful areas. And that car is definitely chihiro's parent's car.

[@NalakittyAMVs]

So crazy to turn around and see the river from so much farther away at the end 😮 What a difficult hike that must have been! I love the rail system so much, I feel like it would have been terrifying to ride the first time or two 😂 Thanks for sharing these walks, Norm. I’m gonna use them to help force my brain into watching longform content again!

[@harrickvharrick3957]

That view is unbelievable! I wonder, who in their right mind would abandon a village where you have THAT!

[@KirstenReusch]

This looks absolutely stunning. *waits impatiently for Sunday morning* 💜✌️🐦

[@KirstenReusch]

It's a beautiful and interesting place out of history. I don't think I'd attempt this alone or without some form of rescue system in place. Also, my dislike of heights might very much become a thing 😅 , but I'd endeavor to push through for that view from the top. Have an awesome week, Norm 💜✌️🐦

[@NecroFlex]

This place is amazing, it's quite beautiful. We've had something similar here aswell, me and my friends would hang out at a few abandoned huts where they used to do some small farming for vegetables and such. It was preserved quite well and had some electricity due to a car battery and a solar panel. It stayed untouched (except for us hanging there, playing board games and such) for many years, until the land was bought out and levelled to make room for apartment complexes. It was sad to see our old memories vanish just like that.

[@toastedprinny]

started following you, subscribed immediately, i love your respect for the culture and privacy of the places you visit.

[@sanashi27]

Yay, another abandoned village video! I love these videos cause they're interesting and exciting. It sucks that there are people ruining these places. I thought abandoned areas in Japan is more likely to be safe from such things cause from the stuff I heard before, it seems most people follow the rules of not doing anything bad in them. It's sad to know that's not the case. This abandoned village looks nice in the morning. Definitely looks like a place for adventure although it does look dangerous cause of the area itself. It would've been bad if there were dangerous people around too cause you can't just run away from them or you might fall somewhere. I'd love to see more abandoned places videos! They really are fun to watch.

[@ggarber4763]

I'm so used to seeing Japan's cities, I forget it has beautiful natural areas too. Near the shrine was a building with something like little houses on the main building's porch. What is that? I can barely understand what it must have been like for the last person living there. I imagine they were old and had to have been absolutely haunted by decades of memories of life in that village. The silence must have made the loneliness an almost tangible presence.

[@mikeparish4397]

It would be amazing to see a village like this in its peak… for a westerner it just looks so surreal! But absolutely fascinating!

[@chrisbusenkell]

That looks beautiful. It would be a great place to visit in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.

[@Thebenvars]

I wasn't expecting the shrine, amazing

[@shannondore]

I love tunnels. Thanks for starting there and taking us along the path up the mountain. Spectacular views! What you found at the top of the mountain was stunning. I would love to see that area in person someday. Thanks, Norm, for showing us such beautiful places.⛩️❤😊

[@Mobik_]

Chihiro?! Is that you?!

[@thepokekid01]

This was gorgeous, but also a bit terrifying! I could feel your heart racing from the start of the video TBH

[@healforgold]

Awesome video, really relaxing! I love that you enable us to experience such a niche part of Japan and that you do it with respect. It's strange that one can feel such a connection to a country that I've never visited. Or maybe not so strange after all given all the JRPGs and anime that reaches far beyond the borders of the country. Keep up the good work!

[@chiefbosnmate]

Another Excellent episode ! thank You for showing Japan in depth ! 🧐