Inside an Abandoned School (With an Amazing Secret)

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  • Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
  • Today we are exploring an abandoned elementary school tucked deep into the mountains of Japan's Wakayama Prefecture. But this school... has an amazing secret. Be prepared to be transported to another world as we explore this beautiful piece of abandoned Japan~
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 984

  • @TokyoLensExplore
    @TokyoLensExplore  4 місяці тому +142

    WILD PLACE!! What did you think? Would YOU explore this alone?
    *NEXT STREAM IN A FEW HOURS!!* ua-cam.com/users/livefQ3UwGahZeo

    • @uzbek9669
      @uzbek9669 4 місяці тому +6

      I love these little escapades you take , very fun to watch and they remind me of the old times when i used to explore abandoned places in my youth( i am 28)

    • @escapingordinary9580
      @escapingordinary9580 4 місяці тому +4

      Probably would not explore alone but the school reminds me of the abandoned school we used on Rebun Island for our archeological project.

    • @saneminotaur
      @saneminotaur 4 місяці тому +4

      Definitely wouldn't explore here alone, mostly because as mentioned, there may be people/ animals living there. I think a man is probably safer when exploring solo; I feel much more comfortable exploring through videos like this :D My SO loves exploring abandoned places, and I never wanna hear about his escapades until he is home safe to tell the tale.

    • @epicthief
      @epicthief 4 місяці тому +2

      Would love a 3d video!

    • @elementneon
      @elementneon 4 місяці тому +5

      SO glad Spirited Away was mentioned 😊 it is 100% spot on. There was some part of my subconscious that arrived at the same correlation without the thought having fully manifested in my conscious thought prior to it being acknowledged.

  • @UncleBubba
    @UncleBubba 4 місяці тому +1019

    Norm may well be the only person in the world who can walk past an unattended piano without hitting some of the keys.

    • @Pauzix
      @Pauzix 4 місяці тому +93

      he also walked past a telescope that was clearly pointed at something outside

    • @mtv565
      @mtv565 4 місяці тому +18

      I wouldn't touch that piano due to bacteria on the keys, and its strings would definitely be out-of-tune.

    • @bitterellaselectricgroove8544
      @bitterellaselectricgroove8544 4 місяці тому +37

      It's for the better. We don't need him summoning some ancient spirit. 🤣

    • @iamjames8403
      @iamjames8403 4 місяці тому +4

      This angered me so much.

    • @iamjames8403
      @iamjames8403 4 місяці тому +3

      So much so that I will think about it everyday for the rest of my life.

  • @lyndonlives638
    @lyndonlives638 4 місяці тому +447

    There's something wonderfully Japanese about finding an abandoned school that leads to a forgotten forest path that leads to a dark mountain tunnel that leads to a long bridge crossing that leads to an empty village that leads to...a working vending machine! 😊

    • @WarFoxThunder
      @WarFoxThunder 4 місяці тому +5

      ikr ^^"

    • @aimemari
      @aimemari 3 місяці тому +2

      it makes me love Japan even more, I've always appreciated that place

    • @amonra4046
      @amonra4046 3 місяці тому

      Młotkiem rozwalić szybę i sobie brac co się zechce.

    • @littlereviewmaster5669
      @littlereviewmaster5669 3 місяці тому +2

      And a freaking bmw😊

    • @RileyLysss
      @RileyLysss 2 місяці тому +11

      Spirited Away vibe is no joke, this is a Studio Ghibli movie just waiting to be made.

  • @booksandocha
    @booksandocha 4 місяці тому +784

    The sign at the front was from the school's closing ceremony, and the one of the first rooms had a leaflet that Norm looked at, which dated that closing ceremony as March 22 Heisei 22 (meaning 2010), so the place has been closed for 14 years.

    • @Ducklordess
      @Ducklordess 4 місяці тому +75

      thankyou for the helpful information.

    • @myrdalmuda
      @myrdalmuda 4 місяці тому +26

      thanks, I thought It was 2022

    • @ludovica8221
      @ludovica8221 4 місяці тому +56

      I do think that Norm should read out all signs he sees. My Japanese is confined to recognising Hiragana/Katakana characters so it'd be nice to hear the words spoken and then translated to English

    • @alcor4670
      @alcor4670 4 місяці тому +18

      Do Japanese schools (or at least high schools) have class reunions and such? And if so, how are they held once their alma mater closes down?
      It might be safe to say that some graduates might be curious enough to visit their old schools, but I can't help but feel sad for those who's schools closed down.

    • @williamsiyanko4631
      @williamsiyanko4631 4 місяці тому +4

      What a creepy old Abandoned Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵 😢😢😢😢

  • @DGR_Dave
    @DGR_Dave 4 місяці тому +273

    I am in awe that there is virtually no graffiti...I admire how much Japan respects its structures, even if it's abandoned!

    • @stevew8513
      @stevew8513 4 місяці тому +16

      I was going to say the same thing. I watched a video about Adak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain that used to host a Cold War era military base that closed in the 1990s, and everything has been vandalized to hell and back. A former listening post to spy on the Soviet Union, shut down and a population only in the hundreds, with little reason for tourists to visit... and everything is smashed, looted and covered with spray paint. I wish we had the Japanese culture's respect for other people's property here.

    • @bmona7550
      @bmona7550 4 місяці тому +30

      Most likely because this is at a country side with a sinking population of young people. I feel like there might be graffiti if this school is near the Tokyo area or any other big city.

    • @kotnapromke
      @kotnapromke 4 місяці тому +7

      Это отсутствие свободы, а не культура. Привыкли жить по жестким правилам.

    • @vongolashodaime1975
      @vongolashodaime1975 4 місяці тому +1

      Hey DGR, cool to see that you watch Norm too

    • @John-fn2ln
      @John-fn2ln 4 місяці тому

      You can still tell people has been in here because it's not actually in perfect condition

  • @bigorange2082
    @bigorange2082 4 місяці тому +111

    For those who don’t know here in Japan it’s cheaper to just abandon the building than clean it out. The land I live on and own is basically worthless with my house here. If I tear down the house and make the land clear, the land value goes back up again.
    There are so many abandon buildings here in Gifu too. Stores, a doctor’s office, houses. I’d like to explore them too but I don’t know if it’s legal. I can send pictures of the outside. 😅
    Best wishes from the mountains of Gifu.

    • @cokesquirrel
      @cokesquirrel 4 місяці тому +9

      I saw the same thing in china. And the people who live there said yes it's cheaper to abandon it and I never understood why thanks for your explanation. And the people who live there said yes it's cheaper to abandon it and I never understood why thanks for your explanation

  • @ShadowsandCityLights
    @ShadowsandCityLights 4 місяці тому +332

    Imagine you're just chilling in your secluded village and some foreigner comes yapping across the old school route and starts yapping up a storm for a bit in town, then leaves. 😂

    • @ScooterinAB
      @ScooterinAB 4 місяці тому +27

      lol. "I thought moving out here would free me from ever having to speak English. Cursed Gaikoku."

    • @mungbean345
      @mungbean345 4 місяці тому +36

      Yes, I was imagining that. 😄
      I grew up in a rural area in the Midwest USA and definitely had this sort of thing happen several times. Some of the people just walked by, but others would steal our asparagus, pet and then try to take our turkey, have photoshoots in the falling apart one-room shack between our house and the neighbor's, and city kids pawing through our old barns in the early mornings on a dare or looking for stuff to sell. For all of us country neighbors, the offensive part was that we would have been willing to give away these experiences and show even more hospitality if people had been respectful and tried to say hi before helping themselves. So as curious as I am, I'm always thankful that Norm has manners and boundaries in his explorations.

    • @desireepaulplummer4386
      @desireepaulplummer4386 4 місяці тому +2

      Do you have to make this be a good place to do a photo shoot? And some cosplayers here Who love country theme like anime among us🤔😅

    • @rawmaw
      @rawmaw Місяць тому +1

      And playing around with a stick aha

  • @Sperbs_9
    @Sperbs_9 4 місяці тому +433

    I love that you said the town was giving “Spirted Away” feels because I immediately thought “zombie apocalypse” vibes 🤣

    • @DubhghlasMacDubhghlas
      @DubhghlasMacDubhghlas 4 місяці тому +7

      Yeah, I definitely got more zombie apocalypse vibe.

    • @catenthusiast3421
      @catenthusiast3421 4 місяці тому +14

      I was waiting for some sort of jump scare, to be honest.

    • @mrlolmaster1019
      @mrlolmaster1019 4 місяці тому +4

      that bridge gave me latest bald and bankrupt in tajikstan video vibes

    • @desireepaulplummer4386
      @desireepaulplummer4386 4 місяці тому +3

      I agree with you there I was about to say that until I read your comment, it’s so well preserved like like walking into a mirror into an empty version of Japan that stand still in time I agree with you there I was about to say that until I read your comment, it’s so well preserved like like walking into a mirror into an empty version of Japan that stand still in time😆

    • @myatheplaysgames
      @myatheplaysgames 4 місяці тому +8

      I was thinking more like SIlent Hill, abandoned school, and a weird tunnel, and a rusty bridge, all you needed was a foggy day to explore for the real SH vibe.

  • @fujitrash
    @fujitrash 4 місяці тому +265

    Fun Fact: The school was closed in 2010 to merge with a school in a larger village.

    • @OllamhDrab
      @OllamhDrab 4 місяці тому +28

      Ah, that squares with my impressions, there: it kind of looks like more of an incomplete move-out than 'Just abandoned,' ...for instance most of the student desks seem to be gone, which implies they were needed elsewhere, say, if you moved more students to an otherwise-furnished school somewhere. It also doesn't seem *totally* neglected, as if they at least had some hope of repurposing or restarting it again. It's like ....they took *some* of the stuff, started taking some of the most-useful books and bookshelves, maybe, offices maybe not-so-cleared out of things left over after however many staff changes..... No real sign of things abandoned by *children...*
      Like maybe they moved stuff out over a summer, eventually called it quits when there was no more need or room, maybe even still go back for the occasional thing.

    • @Desolate1
      @Desolate1 4 місяці тому +11

      Anyone out there that went to school here? I’d love to hear someone reminisce!
      Also, it would be really cool to see an anime based in this school and village.

    • @ScooterinAB
      @ScooterinAB 4 місяці тому +10

      That checks out. The school I worked at ate, like, 7 other schools as the town closed in and consolidated all the kids in one place.

    • @bigorange2082
      @bigorange2082 4 місяці тому +5

      @@OllamhDrabit’s cheaper to leave the stuff instead of cleaning it out.

    • @kimkeller8126
      @kimkeller8126 4 місяці тому +1

      Thanks for the info I was wondering why it was closed

  • @carycoombe3380
    @carycoombe3380 4 місяці тому +56

    I cannot believe how this school is open and still contains items of value, after many years. Seems like a whole different world.

    • @fatal_error8397
      @fatal_error8397 3 місяці тому +3

      If I were a Japanese taxpayer, I would be quite annoyed how things of value like f.ex pianos are just left to rot away.

    • @SeventhSwell
      @SeventhSwell 2 місяці тому +6

      Probably down to the locals being decent and respectful people. Videos like this one, even though I like it, make me worry outside people will find out about the place and go loot and vandalize the place.

  • @Maggie12791
    @Maggie12791 4 місяці тому +60

    As he entered the apparent ghost town I thought 'wouldn't it be cool (and creepy as hell) if there was a fully operational colourful vending machine just standing there somewhere' and SURE ENOUGH-

  • @ahatfullofdreams
    @ahatfullofdreams 4 місяці тому +102

    Hi, I just wanted to take the time to say "thank you" for making these videos. Though I'm only 40 years old, chronic illness has robbed me of almost all mobility. When I was younger, I loved hiking, exploring, and going on little adventures like this. It makes me so sad that I can't keep exploring and seeing more of the world. Videos like yours allow me to still feel just a little bit like I'm off on an adventure, seeing something new. I really appreciate it.

    • @mungbean345
      @mungbean345 4 місяці тому +13

      Similar story here. Fist bump for facing another day, and I hope tomorrow will be a beautiful one for you. ☀️

    • @theresa_lili
      @theresa_lili 4 місяці тому +16

      Big hugs and prayers. I have CRPS making me in the same boat as you. I feel very lonely most days
      Trapped in a rental I can't stand. I don't drive due to vertigo. If you ever need an ear, I'm here for you.
      Nice to meet you @ahatfullofdreams

    • @ahatfullofdreams
      @ahatfullofdreams 4 місяці тому +11

      @@theresa_lili Thanks for the kind words! It sounds like we have had similar experiences. I have hEDS and POTS. The pain severely limits my mobility, and the dizziness has also left me where I can't drive. The only things that keep me sane are my supportive family and my floofy cat. It's tough, but it helps to look for the bright spots, wherever you can find them. Wishing you the best!

    • @mungbean345
      @mungbean345 4 місяці тому +8

      @@ahatfullofdreams VERY similar story, apparently! So happy for your supportive network and floofy cat! I'm allergic to pets, so we have a lifelike dog pillow who lives on the couch and is probably the reason the apartment manager put a paper on our door with a fine and a threat of eviction for an undisclosed dog. After feeling initially stressed out, I got a good laugh out of it. Glad you look for the bright sides, too! Keep up the good work!

    • @mungbean345
      @mungbean345 4 місяці тому +6

      @@theresa_lili Prayers for you, too, and it was very wholesome to see someone reaching out to make sure someone else with a chronic illness is doing okay. We've gotta cheer each other on! ☀️

  • @itsmeshuro
    @itsmeshuro 4 місяці тому +50

    Imagine passing through that tunnel and discovered you travel through time and can't go back😂

    • @desireepaulplummer4386
      @desireepaulplummer4386 4 місяці тому +4

      At least I don’t have to worry about housing crisis that happened go find myself a new home, Steiner life all over again, travelling through thyme escape from Authority and the law🤔😏🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 No more high inflation

    • @Yoinkus
      @Yoinkus 27 днів тому

      Sounds like a movie I’d love to watch

  • @k.vn.k
    @k.vn.k 4 місяці тому +19

    What a beautiful places. You started with an abandoned school, still with many items left inside, but every empty rooms would tell a story. Then a dark tunnel leading to a bridge and you find the most beautiful village across the river… empty and again, each buildings would tell a story. What kind of story is up to your imagination, however the beauty and emptiness leave a very lonely melancholic feelings.

  • @scottrych
    @scottrych 4 місяці тому +25

    Not sure why I was so nervous for you until I realized, you had to actually upload the video, so then I knew you had to have survived. 😂 I loved the video, so cool that you could do that.

    • @marshawargo7238
      @marshawargo7238 4 місяці тому +1

      So funny that he kept saying that he should have kept the stick😂!!! Dude! There's like a million sticks to choose from, all around you😮!!! Pick one up❤!!! Problem Solved😊!!!

  • @robopiplup5193
    @robopiplup5193 Місяць тому +6

    Absolutely criminal how many perfectly salvageable things were just left in that school. Plenty of books, tools, musical instruments, and even cool science equipment and preserved stuff. I'm sure some of the scattering was from people going through things afterward, maybe by other explorers, but the school gives off the appearance that it was abandoned in a hurry. Very surreal.

  • @razi_haron
    @razi_haron 4 місяці тому +8

    That village fits my dream place to live in ...quiet, greeneries and the sound of water flowing .

    • @JamesBurdon-gu5yu
      @JamesBurdon-gu5yu 8 днів тому

      Yea but devoid of shops, life development or income

  • @TokyoLens
    @TokyoLens 4 місяці тому +221

    Thanks to everyone joining this 1M seconds through Japan Adventure~
    Leave me something down below!

    • @Scrumtrulescent0
      @Scrumtrulescent0 4 місяці тому +8

      What a time to be alive, to see another person's journey in a secret far away place like this. Greetings from Virginia, USA! Thanks so much for sharing this for people like me who would otherwise never have the chance to explore Japan this way. Absolutely riveting.

    • @zebrobertson
      @zebrobertson 4 місяці тому +6

      Awesome find and exploration Norm!

    • @trapchan86
      @trapchan86 Місяць тому +1

      Loved this video. It's a dream I have to be able to do something similiar but life doesn't allow it (mental health). I would love to be able to aimlessly drift around Japan in order to find stuff like this. I've done some back home a few years ago, and I miss it every day.

  • @Iris-ro8tc
    @Iris-ro8tc 4 місяці тому +20

    I'm glad you found that school and village! They're both so lovely and it's a shame that they're going abandoned as people move into the cities and the older population die. It's nice that there's at least this small record of them ❤

    • @mnk9073
      @mnk9073 4 місяці тому +3

      It's a nice building, lots of natural light and good facilities. I bet kids liked going there. It's really sad to see it just left to slowly decay.

  • @thecolortwelve3784
    @thecolortwelve3784 4 місяці тому +35

    The moment of the valley opening up over the river as you came out of the tunnel was rather stunning. Lovely place though I could not deal with that many spider webs. I ran into enough last time I was in Japan and I never went any where abandoned, just some less traveled spots.

  • @oldgregg86.
    @oldgregg86. 4 місяці тому +225

    No trash, no drugs, no destruction, no graffiti, no addicts, no squatters.
    Amazing how different Japanese abandoned buildings are compared to American ones.

    • @Lightice1
      @Lightice1 4 місяці тому +53

      Japan has all of the above, but this area is so remote that coming there to cause trouble just isn't worth it to anyone so inclined. If this school happened to get an urban legend related to haunting or such, people would flock there to cover the walls in spooky graffiti in spite of the distance.

    • @simonphoenix3789
      @simonphoenix3789 4 місяці тому +30

      @@Lightice1 in the US, no matter how abandoned and out of the way it is, some a-hole will come along and paint a bunch of letters all over the place.

    • @bitterellaselectricgroove8544
      @bitterellaselectricgroove8544 4 місяці тому +10

      Other countries such as England, for example, also have the same problem as America. Graffiti in/outside abandoned buildings, homes, etc.

    • @wout123100
      @wout123100 4 місяці тому +5

      ofcourse, japan is civilised, cant say the same about the us anymore

    • @alistairkewish651
      @alistairkewish651 4 місяці тому +12

      Too far away to appeal to squatters, I think. This is rural Japan.

  • @Bryan-dd6tr
    @Bryan-dd6tr 4 місяці тому +17

    This video made me appreciate living in the countryside and walking to school back in my elementary days.

  • @MiddleAgedSwedeGoesForAWalk
    @MiddleAgedSwedeGoesForAWalk 4 місяці тому +30

    I thought the (presumably) centuries old stone bridge I crossed every day on my way to school was pretty cool but that tunnel is on a completely different level, would've made every walk to and from school feel like an adventure 😀The fact that the light is still on in the tunnel does make it seem like it's still being used somewhat regularly.

    • @Tajarim88
      @Tajarim88 4 місяці тому +4

      Probably not. I would guess it's just part of a law, that traversable paths need to be sufficiently illuminated, as they would have had to prevent entry otherwise. I came across quite a few abondoned properties in Japan that were completely chained up.

    • @yazyaz2969
      @yazyaz2969 4 місяці тому

      ​@@Tajarim88If it's a law that it should be illuminated. It probably means that someone is checking the light regularly for maintenance

    • @Tajarim88
      @Tajarim88 4 місяці тому

      @@yazyaz2969 yeeeees? That is what that OBVIOUSLY implies. Have a 🍪 for thinking about it.

    • @yazyaz2969
      @yazyaz2969 4 місяці тому

      @@Tajarim88 Man the OP said "it's still being used regularly" and you said "probably not". I'm just pointing it out lol
      Here's the milk for your cookie 🥛

  • @megamcee
    @megamcee 4 місяці тому +12

    16:45 I know that this is a quite reductive thing to say, but this is a quintessential "japanese thing" Abandoned school into a seemingly empty village deeeep in the mountaints, BUT THE VENDING MACHINE WORKS! Love it

  • @icefox7022
    @icefox7022 4 місяці тому +12

    I do lots of urbex photography here in Italy, and i gotta say, i'm always amazed by the amounts of beautiful abandoned places in Japan, the decay and stories you get to see from even just the objects are worth so much. Stuff like this, sadly, would never be preserved in this state here in Italy where things either get demolished or vandalized very fast.
    I can only wish to experience and capture such places.

  • @Stormcrow89
    @Stormcrow89 4 місяці тому +55

    Is it bad that the mom brain part of me wanted to just pick up all those books and stack them neatly? Other than that, this was really cool. I’ve never seen a school with the auditorium on an upper floor before, and that tunnel was just captivating. The beautiful spring green moss was a lovely accent to it all.

    • @ikaruseijin01
      @ikaruseijin01 4 місяці тому +14

      Imagine if you did... City officials come to check on the abandoned school and find the library cleaned and put back in place. 😄 Might be worth it to see their faces.

    • @micabryant4513
      @micabryant4513 4 місяці тому +11

      I wanted to tidy it so badly too! Place had charm..wanted to see it looking nice again..

    • @wuggieofthehood3711
      @wuggieofthehood3711 4 місяці тому +1

      I've been to two repurposed high schools here in the U.S. where the auditorium/gymnasium was on the third floor (top floor) the where both in small, historic older Cities in the mid-Atlantic area. Seems like it might be a bit annoying to be sitting in math class and people above you are running around playing basketball or sometbing lol

  • @onceZ2129
    @onceZ2129 4 місяці тому +78

    Imagine after heading back to the abandoned school everything is now organized and the school is now fully operating with teachers and students. 😨😱 That would be creepy.

    • @ludovica8221
      @ludovica8221 4 місяці тому +15

      That would make a cool short story

    • @kotnapromke
      @kotnapromke 4 місяці тому +2

      А в центре школы вы находите в подвале колодец. В котором живет девочка с черными волосами...

    • @liveintoxicated
      @liveintoxicated 4 місяці тому +5

      I think I would die on the spot from fear 😅 There is a trailer park based movie where the exact opposite happens and I think about it fairly often but can never remember what it was 😂

    • @desireepaulplummer4386
      @desireepaulplummer4386 4 місяці тому +4

      No kidding this gives me the vibe of a movie I just watch called ghost ship that’s waiting to lure people onto the ship this garden one by one they collect sold to keep on cruising in the premier triangle, waiting for more victim😅🤯😨

    • @pinascreen7913
      @pinascreen7913 4 місяці тому +4

      Yeah i would be creeped out at first but a wave of nostalgia starts flooding in as i realize i just entered a time glitch in the past when the school was still alive and functioning..

  • @cudyllbach6468
    @cudyllbach6468 4 місяці тому +27

    Why so many schools and villages abandoned in Japan. These areas are so beautiful. So sad

    • @wuggieofthehood3711
      @wuggieofthehood3711 4 місяці тому +5

      Smaller populations of children lead to abandonment and consolidations of schools leading to fewer school than where needed in past decades and people have slowly but surely been relocating to cities rather the the countryside/mountainside villages of long ago. It so sad to see places like this and so many others go unused.

    • @Rlfa84
      @Rlfa84 23 дні тому

      Because the buildings built for another reason before they were schools and other public facilitys

  • @darthalpaca
    @darthalpaca 4 місяці тому +22

    Was anticipating a person to be like “hi” throughout the journey inside the school considering it is in such good condition still. Never really have seen the auditorium/gym on the top floor nor an entrance from above.
    The tunnel system is a cool find and the suspension bridge is amazing. Looking at the marking on the wall next to the bridge I wonder how high the river waters get. Must be pretty high.
    I get the eerie vibes when walking through the tunnel and that walking this area would be a challenge of courage and more spooky at night time. Thanks for sharing with us 🙂

  • @greenbriar07
    @greenbriar07 4 місяці тому +13

    Fun to see those paper-strip chains in the classroom - we made those in elementary school, too :)

  • @ernestwalker5173
    @ernestwalker5173 4 місяці тому +6

    I'm sorry to see Japan's high mountains like this there were such nice people living there, when I was there very respectful of other people, even to an American like me.

  • @xxenogear
    @xxenogear 4 місяці тому +13

    You found a real gem here Norm. I instantly fell in love with that school and the tunnel and area around it. That is such a spectacular mountain backdrop. I would totally retire there.❤❤ And brew coffee all day, lol.

  • @Marc.B111
    @Marc.B111 4 місяці тому +8

    Somehow I wish that our schools would be located in such a beautiful enviroment. The view (at around 5:18) out of the windows directly into the overgrown slope is just pure magic. No fields, other buildings or noisy roads nearby, just quiet nature.

  • @coobcakes
    @coobcakes 4 місяці тому +5

    Honestly when the texture of the tunnel changed and got all smooth at 11:37 ish, I was thinking "is this a prank? is this CGI? is this going to turn into some 3d world on the other side of the tunnel?"
    The suspension bridge and the river surrounding that tiny town was gorgeous. It's crazy to see how much stuff was left in that school.

    • @perpeder4370
      @perpeder4370 Місяць тому

      That is how most tunnels and cliff faces by roads (been secured) look, yes? At least in Norway I’ve seen that kinda sement-type stuff a lot

  • @Miquiztli111
    @Miquiztli111 4 місяці тому +22

    That thumbnail is awesome can’t wait

  • @adriancentra
    @adriancentra 4 місяці тому +10

    27:13 it says something like let’s all encourage each other and grow. Well the wildlife sure has taken that motto seriously…😂

    • @desireepaulplummer4386
      @desireepaulplummer4386 4 місяці тому +1

      No kidding😅😅😅😅😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • @Graymanjft
    @Graymanjft 4 місяці тому +4

    This is a problem that is seen across the world, the dying of small, rural towns. I grew up in a small town in southeast Kansas that had 5 elementary schools. The town has, at last count, lost half of its population. They closed all the elementary schools and built one central school. The closed schools were never repurposed and have all been abandoned. The windows have been broken out, ceilings are caving in, etc. It's incredibly sad. The hometown of my youth is gone except in my memories.
    Thank you, Norm, for your videos. My son, his girlfriend, and I are planning on visiting Japan in November and we watch your videos for ideas of where to go. You have rapidly become my son's and my favorite youtuber.

  • @JoyNova
    @JoyNova 4 місяці тому +11

    The path from the tunnel to the bridge, was the coolest thing ever. What a great find!

  • @zrugel
    @zrugel 4 місяці тому +4

    holy crap that place is absurdly cool. its like it was lost to time, but only recently.

  • @KSilverlode
    @KSilverlode 4 місяці тому +9

    There may not have been bats in the tunnel, but the size and pattern of droppings in the school do look like they are from small bats. If you looked up where you saw the droppings, you might have seen some roosting under the ceiling.

  • @whoevenknows762
    @whoevenknows762 4 місяці тому +1

    This is So many ghibli vibes! I can imagine a story already! A guy goes back to his home town in the mountains after losing his city job and struggling with depression and self worth issues. He visits his old school many years after it closed. He goes through the tunnel and comes out the other side a child back in the past and starts his adventure ☺️

  • @chrism7395
    @chrism7395 4 місяці тому +24

    I'm always amazed how much fixtures and fittings are left behind and how the buildings are left unsecured - in the UK, it'd be almost gutted and the lower level ingress points would be boarded up with at least a suggestion of monitoring by a security firm.

  • @flamesofhellstudio
    @flamesofhellstudio Місяць тому +1

    This place is insane, the surrounding area is overgrown, but the inside looks relatively clean compared to other buildings I have seen.

  • @talesofmichele
    @talesofmichele 4 місяці тому +4

    Closed in March 2009 (Heisei 22) 😮
    The paper you looked at after the safe was the school closing ceremony paper.
    I'm shocked at how much they leave in the school. I can understand if something sudden happened suddenly but a planned closure.
    It's sad seeing the 6th grader self portaits on the wall still. Would be cool to be a student there then and come back and see it still there though.
    Wonder if all the student info locked up in the safe is still there.
    WOW the tunnel and the bridge!!!!! I want to write a horror story there... with the school... need to save this video for later when I can write it.

  • @funkytwostep
    @funkytwostep 2 місяці тому +1

    So many writing prompts! Imagine being the vendor that keeps drives out to supply the machine in an abandoned village that always seems to need a refill. I love would to hear the stories of the former students that attended these lonely places.

  • @jeanproctor3663
    @jeanproctor3663 4 місяці тому +5

    Thank you for this little adventure and sharing it with us all, Norm. We really appreciate seeing such beautiful and peaceful places.

  • @pendaco
    @pendaco Місяць тому +1

    Norm walking with the stick reminded me of Renge from Non Non Biyori. "It's not a stick! The weight, the branch-like shape.. It's obviously the legendary sword!" 😄 Norm just didn't know he was wielding it! But I feel like the kids going to school there had the same imaginations.
    That view of the mountains after you walked out the tunnel was just breathtaking!

  • @Murphy007
    @Murphy007 4 місяці тому +6

    That was old school Tokyo Lens today. I know exactly what that school smelled like. What a great time .

  • @jamesweston3679
    @jamesweston3679 4 місяці тому +8

    The lack of graffiti, broken windows, ripped drywall and just general destruction in this abandoned school speaks volumes to American society and how its degraded as it has. This abandoned Toyko school is in better shape than many of the occupied American schools.

    • @perpeder4370
      @perpeder4370 Місяць тому

      Well if it was in Tokyo it would probably be worse, this seems to be way up in the mountains

  • @EternalShadow
    @EternalShadow 4 місяці тому +1

    That tunnel reminds me so much of spirited away i got chills Japan is so amazing

    • @EternalShadow
      @EternalShadow 4 місяці тому +1

      And jsut after i posted that it was said on vid XD Japan is just so cool

  • @gordonjoestar
    @gordonjoestar 4 місяці тому +8

    I'll for sure attempt to indulge in the full stream this time around!

  • @bobsaget9675
    @bobsaget9675 Місяць тому +1

    18:30...."i wonder if the people here appreciated it..." the grass is always greener on the other side. I bet these kids would do anything to have a bus take them to school on a cold rainy/snowy day..to do this trip once i hope you appreciate what you had growing up.

  • @Nommicus
    @Nommicus 4 місяці тому +3

    We used to walk 4 miles to school (primary) down and up a river valley on our own before my 10th birthday, one year snow upto my armpits, we still went.
    This was in UK in the 80s.
    It not surprising they walked that every day, it was more than we had, we had a broken road that was often waterlogged.
    Plus the lawns and houses in that village you walked past were kept and mowed showing folks do live there and probably work away now.

  • @Minoujill24
    @Minoujill24 4 місяці тому +1

    This little town is so pretty.... With all the nature around...I wish i could go somewhere like this and live there... Just need internet and electricity... And it would be my dream town!

  • @ctg4818
    @ctg4818 4 місяці тому +10

    The place looks forcefully evacuated more than abandoned

  • @wolvmarine313
    @wolvmarine313 27 днів тому +2

    The ancient stone structures under the foliage are interesting as well. Looks like the school was used to cover it up.

  • @x2jzb
    @x2jzb 4 місяці тому +4

    Very Scary!! My hats off to you for going the extensive track to cover the school, bridge and village!! Thank you for weathering the spider webs and spiders you saw. Very interesting!!! I can’t wait for the next video!!!❤

  • @jennifergodinez5679
    @jennifergodinez5679 6 днів тому

    By far this is THE BEST 'abandoned adventure vid' ive ever seen. This is the first video of yours ive watched but i already like you more than other people ive watched. I also loved how there was no tagging (the ugly, untalented, unnecessary kind) in the tunnel! Shows you how different cultures are more respectful than the US. Amd all the green, so beautiful! Thanks!

  • @Mr_Nobody-
    @Mr_Nobody- 4 місяці тому +5

    Beautiful place to explore. Thanks for the trip Tokyo Lens.❤

  • @dunkirchen1940
    @dunkirchen1940 4 місяці тому +2

    What a great video! Thank you for taking us with you, Norm!

  • @joshuaweathers2242
    @joshuaweathers2242 26 днів тому +4

    Did anyone else smell formaldehyde when he walked in the lab

  • @mysterioussoup3393
    @mysterioussoup3393 24 дні тому +1

    God. You can just feel the childhood joy.

  • @party4lifedude
    @party4lifedude Місяць тому +1

    This is like a holy grail of location for me, I've always wished I could go to Japan and just explore remote areas and do urbex

  • @meowM30Wmew
    @meowM30Wmew 4 місяці тому +6

    can't wait! I hope I make it!

  • @tccandler
    @tccandler 4 місяці тому +2

    That was an excellent abandoned tour! Thanks!

  • @jameslong3936
    @jameslong3936 4 місяці тому +5

    Tunnel looks like a video game!

  • @-Vitalis-
    @-Vitalis- 22 дні тому

    These urban exploration vids really relax me. I can't explain it exactly. The ubiquitous silence, no human presence, empty spaces. Some may say it's depressing or creepy. Perhaps a bit nostalgic since many stories took place there. But it's quite magical the sensation of not knowing these exact stories, instead making up your own while traveling here and there.
    Makes me realize the imperfection of human memory is what makes it worth living life and go in adventuring, just for the sake of reviving old emotions or experiencing new ones. It's what spice things up.
    Maybe that's why I usually don't take pictures when I travel. Instead, I write down my impressions or if I can pick up a small object (stone, stick, leaf, whatever), I do so with the utmost respect and joy. A new piece of imperfect memory arises. A new chance to see the canvas from a different perspective.
    Thanks for the experience. Happy traveling.

  • @Joonivy
    @Joonivy 4 місяці тому +7

    My scaredy cat ass could neverrr 💀 thank God Norm exists making these videos bcs I love to watch but too scared to go myself haha

  • @sarabaldeschwieler7763
    @sarabaldeschwieler7763 4 місяці тому +2

    What a great explore. Thanks for taking us with you Norm.

  • @gooutoffashion
    @gooutoffashion 4 місяці тому +6

    There is a car ... With people 😆 ?!
    I love your content.👌
    I also thought, there's a very spirited away feel to it.

  • @veronicaclarke7499
    @veronicaclarke7499 4 місяці тому +1

    If this was a horror film I would have been saying 'DON'T go into the creepy old tunnel!' Great video - I'm always surprised no one's walked off with the stuff left in these places.

  • @mochamadfaisalfitrah5104
    @mochamadfaisalfitrah5104 4 місяці тому +4

    11:58 bro is ready for enter the dungeon 😂

  • @jed86515
    @jed86515 4 місяці тому +1

    great video as always, I wanted you to explore the village more but then realised how far you had walked. Thanks for finding these amazing places

  • @lucamistodie5582
    @lucamistodie5582 4 місяці тому +3

    i can t wait to see it, i love your videos!

  • @misteriron69
    @misteriron69 4 місяці тому +1

    Wowwwwww, BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL!!! Definitely worth the wait. enjoyed the premiere. Norm, Keep doing these, and I appreciate what you do with this Explore channel a lot. Thank you, Norm, for the effort and for giving us the opportunity to have a look into this amazing part of Japan!!!

  • @ChiChisStreams
    @ChiChisStreams 4 місяці тому +3

    This is amazing!! Loved it!

  • @Zemiaza
    @Zemiaza 5 днів тому

    This is lovely! If I could go to any school I’d want a school like this it looks so cozy and comfortable. I hope whomever went there enjoyed their time!
    15:35 if I was here I would be trying to explore the homes. I wish I could live in a village like that. Quaint but oh so lovely.

  • @ParkerPennies
    @ParkerPennies 3 місяці тому +1

    I love the way the internet allows us to see and explore these out of the way little haunted corners in the world.

  • @elcomode
    @elcomode 3 місяці тому +2

    14:21 - I don't know why, but I want to live there. So quiet and far away from crowded streets, loud noises and people, they have no time.

    • @MeltWithU
      @MeltWithU 24 дні тому +1

      I’m glad I’m not the only one. You pick a place, I’ll pick a place. I think it would be incredible to live out there. It seems so peaceful.

  • @ocsrc
    @ocsrc 4 місяці тому +3

    They have a tunnel lit by the government and the lights work and aren't smashed, no graffiti. And they have sticks at the entrance for snakes I would imagine.
    Such a beautiful country and respectful citizens.
    I wish I could move there

  • @MissShinigami
    @MissShinigami 4 місяці тому

    It is is so wild that you stumbled into yet another abandoned school, this has such an eerie feel, especially knowing that there were kids learning here, that occupied this space, made friends, laughed and cried. I love that you take us with you on these explorations and adventures.

  • @BuddhangGala
    @BuddhangGala 4 місяці тому +2

    Curious about that little town , why nobody was there! U need to go back and look around!

  • @the1silentgirl
    @the1silentgirl 4 місяці тому +4

    Did they leave in a hurry ? Would have thought they might have at least taken the trophies and books with them

  • @pydepyper
    @pydepyper 4 місяці тому +2

    So beautiful! You find such amazing to locations! I appreciate being able to live vicariously through you. 😁

  • @flamesofhellstudio
    @flamesofhellstudio Місяць тому

    the ting that always surprises me in these abandoned building exploration videos is the amount of stuff that is in still good condition just, left there. Or the ones where the building is literally falling apart and yet the power is still on. Or that one I saw the other day, they were exploring an abandoned prison, they found a section the power was still on, and it led to this room with a ladder that lead up to a service closet and the door out of that closet, lead into...a still in use probation office.

  • @Scorpia964
    @Scorpia964 19 днів тому

    The studio Ghibli tunnel was so cool. I kept searching for a ghost or something spooky in the school. Glad you didn't have to breakout the ghost hunting gear.

  • @SmilingQuokka
    @SmilingQuokka 4 місяці тому +1

    Wow! What an amazing place. I'm always astounded by the amount of stuff just left behind.

  • @mike311271
    @mike311271 Місяць тому

    what a beautiful place, so sad it's left to nature, i would live there to wake up to them views every day and the peace and quiet

  • @naomicastle8785
    @naomicastle8785 4 місяці тому +2

    This is so beyond awesome!! Loved every minute!!

  • @altvecc
    @altvecc 4 місяці тому

    From exploring the abandoned school and suddenly found a small/abandoned village through a tunnel, this adventure is unreal!
    Thanks Norm for showing us this side of japan to us!

  • @peter.24.7
    @peter.24.7 4 місяці тому +1

    Norm, you have a wonderfully old-fashioned, romantic soul. It shows in the reverence to the past that you possess and express. But, I swear to God, your epitaph, one day, is going to be a found footage video. 😄 Great video. Take care.

  • @elrichklopper6207
    @elrichklopper6207 20 днів тому

    I would sooo love to explore this place. Something special about places like this.

  • @pyroclasticvaulter
    @pyroclasticvaulter 2 місяці тому +1

    Turning on my bell notification, because I am tired of missing these videos.

  • @hiobi1172
    @hiobi1172 4 місяці тому +1

    So quiet and serene... I wouldn't mind living here with the fresh air... as long as there's internet, drinking water and electricity.

  • @iowantribal
    @iowantribal 4 місяці тому +2

    this was absolutely amazing to see.

  • @sluggyyarvin
    @sluggyyarvin 3 місяці тому

    There were lights on in the tunnel, so obviously still maintained. Norm being cautious on the bridge seemed pretty funny. The bridge actually looks to be pretty good shape. The trail leading to the tunnel also seems well traveled.

  • @gotcexplorewithalbee8574
    @gotcexplorewithalbee8574 4 місяці тому +1

    Woah what an awesome find!!!

  • @ThatsJeanette
    @ThatsJeanette 3 місяці тому

    The furniture in the school was so beautiful, the shelves, this one with glass-sliding-doors in the science room. I would love to have one of those and it’s really difficult to find such design and quality nowadays, where I live. And there it is abandoned in rural japan. 😩

  • @cast8919
    @cast8919 29 днів тому +4

    This abandoned village has a higher working soda machine rate than my local Walmart

  • @vanrum
    @vanrum 4 місяці тому +2

    such a beautiful place behind the secret entrance😍