Situated a good 3 hour drive from western Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture’s Nitchitsu mining town housed around 3,000 people at its peak in 1965, but now, any life is long gone, and the mountain’s iron and zinc remains unmoved.

When things finally wound down, however, many of the town’s inhabitants appear to have travelled lightly, leaving behind a lot of their belongings — the doctor in particular packing only important stuff. So his containers of monstrous,

and probably best left mysterious paraphernalia still remain,

along with all manner,

of medicine.

Surgical instruments too were also seen as secondary,

with rusty,

and wretched looking things,

still randomly scattered about.

As are the ex-residents records.

Meaning that while certain surgical procedures could still be performed, it wouldn’t be particularly pleasant,

although there is still be a comfy-ish bed for convalescence.

(click images higher-res horrors)

In Nitchitsu mining town haikyo #2: A day in the life, I take a look at the way those that were well worked, rested and played, and in Nitchitsu mining town haikyo #3: Home sweet home, a look at their lodgings.

Also, for more haikyo, there are images here of an abandoned house, hospital, cable car station, sports hotel complex, restaurant and love hotel.