These abandoned cars sit on a car dealer forecourt in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. The town was evacuated in 2011 in response to the accident at the nearby nuclear power plant.

We found this location by chance. An unexpected bonus location. We spotted it from the parking lot of a nearby pachinko hall (while en route to the Anime Panchinko hall). I recognised the funeral car from photos I had seen online a year or so ago. We visited Fukushima during the second half of our Japan Haikyo Tour 2019.

Curiously, many of the cars in this lot are America. The most eyecatching is a tangerine orange 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS. Two 1990s Lincoln Towncars, one in red and one in black, flank the Chevrolet Impala. There is also a 2006 Toyota Tundra and 1989 Nissan 240SX nearby.

Two white cars stand in front of a garage door. Both of these appear to be 1990s Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. One of the Cadillacs has been modified into a stretch limousine. This one is the luxury “Connessieur” version.

A small and frog-like Nissan Pao peeks out from behind a small bush. The Nissan Pao had a short production run between 1989 and 1991.

However, it appears that some of these cars have moved since the dealer was abandoned in 2011. Photos from three or four years ago show a vacant space where the Cadillac Connessieur limousine now rests.

Abandoned Japenese Funeral Car

In Japanese, hearses are called reikyūsha (霊柩車), and appear in two styles. There are plain versions, similar to western funeral cars. Traditional Japanese-style cars are much more ornate. This vehicle is a wonderful example of the latter.

The rear of the funeral car features heavy modifications. To make space for the casket/coffin, the entire original interior behind the front seats has been removed. Made of wood, this rear compartment’s appearance mimics a Buddist temple. Numerous golden birds with long tails and elaborate plumage decorate the car. These are Hō-ō (鳳凰); an Asian bird broadly equivalent to the Phoenix in Greek mythology. Golden dragons reliefs appear along the side of the wooden temple.

The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

A massive earthquake struck the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant on the 11th March 2011. The earthquake measured Magnitude 9 and occurred at 2.46pm. Safety systems kicked in immediately, and the reactors shut down as designed. Emergency shutdown involves inserting control rods into the reactor (halting nuclear fission reactions). Diesel-powered pumps kicked in to circulate coolant, removing heat from the system. This cooling process would take several weeks to return the reactor to safe levels.

In addition to the earthquake, a 13-14m tall tsunami struck forty-six minutes later. The wave breached the 10m high seawall protecting the power plant. The generators powering the coolant system were located in the basement. When the tsunami wave hit, the basement flooded and the generators failed. The reactors overheated as a result of this. Several hydrogen-air explosions occurred in the following days.

As a result of this release of nuclear material, there was a forced evacuation of many towns and villages. Eight years later clean-up operations are still ongoing. Businesses are starting to re-open, and in some areas residents are now beginning to return to their homes.