HAIKYO in the land of the rising sun

Japan, between the myth of an ancestral culture and the expression of a modernity revealed to the world, remains a country steeped in mystery.
The Japanese way of life, where extreme rigor and almost dreamlike fantasy intermingle, is fascinating.
Curious to discover this country that I knew only through images from immersive reports, I set off for the “Land of the Rising Sun,” accompanied by two photographer friends, in search of typical and unusual places.
Once there, one thing became clear: the countryside, vast expanses of lush vegetation, is inexorably depopulating but overflowing with abandoned treasures.
To put the situation into context, it should be noted that after the economic boom of the 1980s, Japan remains mired in a period of recession that makes it impossible to maintain the many infrastructures built at that time: hotels, buildings, golf courses, amusement parks.
It is in this atmosphere, described by some journalists as “post-apocalyptic,” that we find ourselves upon our arrival.
We discover what the Japanese call the world of “haikyo”: a fascinating universe of forgotten and abandoned places.
The photographs I have chosen to show you depict these places and highlight the concept of “wabi-sabi” or beauty in imperfection, the passage of time, and the patina of things.