In recent years, a number of photo collections featuring only abandoned buildings have been published, and tours of abandoned buildings have become popular.Why are people attracted to abandoned buildings?

When you hear of ruins,While the horrifying image is prevalent, it also has echoes of nostalgia and romance.Perhaps it is because there is something there that is in keeping with the aesthetics of perdition that the Japanese have always loved.

In fact, this is what we have here in Kyoto."A sanctuary in ruins."There are places that can be calledFormer Atagoyama Railway Cable (cable line) and Atago Station, the terminus of the cable line.It is.

Atago-yama is a sacred mountain in the western part of Kyoto, with Atago Shrine, known as the god of fire prevention, in its bosom. In the summer of 1929, the Atago-yama Cable opened on this sacred mountain. At the time, the cable was in the limelight for having the longest operating distance and the greatest height difference in the East, and the mountain was crowded with people as ski resorts, hotels, and an amusement park with a flying tower opened in the mountains.

Photo of Cable Atago station building at that time

However, in 1944, at the end of the Pacific War, Japan's defeat in World War II became more and more imminent, and the Atagoyama Cable was declared an "unnecessary and non-urgent railroad," and the line was closed down due to the provision of iron. About 70 years have passed since then,Nowadays, it is a phantom railroad, a secretly popular spot among enthusiasts of abandoned railroads.The first two are the following.

To reach this Atagoyama cable station site, take the Atago Shrine Omoteyama Road up to the Mizuo Farewell, and then continue on to the shrine's gate (Kuromon). After a short distance, you will see a side road on your right. This is the path leading to the Atago Station ruins. At the base of the old tree where you enter the side road are piles of flat stones the size of your fist, perhaps left there by visitors to mark the entrance.

Take the side road from the approach to Atago Shrine.
A stone placed at the base of a tree marks the spot.

A little further on, the buildingConcrete mass that looks like wreckageI came across a This area was lined with ryokan (Japanese inns) and souvenir shops, so it may have been part of the area.

As I walked further, suddenly, the view in front of me opened up to reveal the abandoned building of the former Atago Station.

Ruins of Cable Atago Station Building

Under the sun, reminiscent of early summer, it was covered with green vines. At first glance, the ruins of the station house looked like a modern Western-style building, and did not seem too eerie. As we approached the building, we saw that the pillars were in tatters and the walls and ceilings were in such disrepair that one would not be surprised if they collapsed at any moment. I slowly stepped inside the building, thinking that any accidents would be my own responsibility.

There areAn alien space far removed from everyday lifewas spreading.

Interior of the first floor of the station ruins

The bare concrete ceiling, walls, and floor. There was no glass in the area where a window might have been, leaving it exposed to the elements. The building appeared to be a two-story structure when viewed from the front, but it was a three-story structure with one basement level and two stories above ground. The stairs to the second floor are still there, so I went up.

Stairs to the second floor where the cafeteria used to be.

The ceiling was cracked, and concrete that had melted due to years of leaking was hanging down in several tendrils. On the floor directly below them, the concrete that had fallen mixed with water droplets formed an oval layer, like small stalactites.

Ceiling melted into a small crater.

In the past, this was the place to be.Human activity certainly existed.. Thinking of this, I instantly began to feel sentimental. Whether visited or forgotten, all the ruins of this station building will quietly decay over time.

Embraced by Mt.Variant.in his mind,Fresh greenery so full of life that it is sweltering, the exact opposite of the ruinsWe descended the mountain in the middle of the mountain, following the abandoned cable tracks.

abandoned railway lineTunnel of