Abandoned Japan



Japan is often thought of as a place where the modern world and ancient traditions meet insurprising and fascinating ways. The rapid pace of technological, social and cultural changethroughout the 20th century propelled the country forward but left countless establishments,industries and entire towns deserted.

Through his photography Jordy Meow explores these forgotten places and sheds light on a lostworld that was thriving just a few decades ago.

Abandoned Japon documents famed ruins (haikyo in Japanese) such as Gunkanjima, the islandfeatured in the Bond movie Skyfall, which once had a population of over 5,000 but is nowcompletely abandoned, and the Disneyland-inspired Nara Dreamland theme park. Beyondthese well-known sites, Jordy Meow also takes us on a journey through every aspect of arapidly disappearing past: from schools and hospitals to industrial sites and nightlife, includingstrip clubs and love hotels.

The ruins captured here range from the quaint and serene to the dark and nightmarish. Somehave an atmosphere reminiscent of the animation films of Studio Ghibli while others seemalmost dystopian. These places show that people can leave a lasting mark on their environmentbut, given the chance, nature finds its way back.