But for Dutch photographer Maan Limburg, Japan is a series of rural landscapes punctuated by empty houses. Her photos of these places — from houses left after natural disasters to theaters closed with the lights still on — are now featured in a book, “The Lost World,” which was released in May.
The ghost houses of Japan
Japan has one of the oldest populations in the world, with one in 1,500 people over the age of 100. the only significant force affecting Japan’s landscape. Events such as earthquakes, typhoons and the Fukushima nuclear disaster have also caused widespread destruction or abandonment. Enter the phenomenon of akiya, or haunted houses. A 2014 government report sounded the alarm, saying that if things continue at current rates, about 900 villages and towns across Japan will “disappear”. Limburg didn’t just find empty houses — there were also abandoned businesses like this DVD store. Maan Limburg/The Lost World But even free houses aren’t necessarily the cure for Japan’s akiya situation. While other countries with aging populations, such as Italy, have granted or sold very cheap houses to foreigners, they often come with a visa or residence permit. Japanese houses, however, do not. As a result, it can be difficult to find people willing to live in the houses and fix them up, especially if they don’t speak Japanese or have access to a car. Limburg, who is based in Utrecht, found herself irresistibly drawn to the lesser-known areas of Japan where many of these houses exist. She and her partner would spend months there at a time, renting a car or van and driving to parts of the country that many tourists rarely explore. Finding ephemera such as diaries and newspapers can help Limburg understand when a place was abandoned. Maan Limburg/The Lost World
Leaving the cities
Limburg says she “fell in love” with rural Japan. “In every village we went to, people said, ‘What are you doing here?’ The nearest tourist attraction is 35 km away. We can send you there. We can draw you a map if you want’. It was really nice to see this different side of Japan,’ he says. And once he started visiting smaller villages, it was practically impossible not to find empty houses or abandoned buildings. At one point, Liburg says, her friend asked if they really had to stop at each one. One of the reasons why Limburg became associated with rural Japan is that it reminded her of her native Holland. Although both countries have a reputation for being cold and not always welcoming to foreign visitors, Limburg disagrees. “Once the Dutch see that you’re really interested, they’ll share a lot of information with you. That’s something I’ve also really found in Japan to be true,” he says. “It’s one of the things I really enjoy about both countries that if you have a real interest in people, they suddenly really share their lives with you.” But of course not all countryside is the same, and this was reflected in the kinds of vacant buildings he found. In Hokkaido, Limburg explains, many people had time to properly close and seal their homes before moving out. But in areas like Fukushima, where people had left in a hurry, it wasn’t unusual to find cups of tea or TVs still plugged in. One of her personal favorite discoveries was a former theater. The sets, costumes and lights were still intact, as if the actors had simply taken a lunch break and would return at any moment. Some of the smaller houses packed the most emotional punch. Liburg saw family photos still attached to the wall and wondered what had happened to the people who lived here and what made them leave. “I hope I’ve treated the locations with enough respect,” he says. Her favorite area was the “magical” northern island of Hokkaido. “It’s rough and rugged and it’s weird,” says the photographer. “We felt like we were in an Edward Hopper painting without people.” “Once you start looking for vacant houses,” Limburg says, “they’re everywhere.” Maan Limburg/The Lost World
Reflections
In total, Limburg has visited Japan about 10 times, starting when she was a teenager. Being a freelancer, she can spend long periods of time away, so her average visit to Japan was three weeks. Multiple trips allowed her to see different parts of the country, as well as meet and connect with some of the people she met along the way. “The Lost World” is more than just a photo album — it’s a tribute to the country he loves and respects.
