While surfing for UE galleries, i came across this gallery from an abandoned bowling alley in Japan, in the 7th pic there's a really cool Nationan Panasonic set, probably from the early 70s

Wish i could find something like this in my own explorations... it's usually just worthless smashed up BPC here :thumbsdn:

http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/07/toyo-bowl-ruins-kanagawa/

Really cool. I know a guy who likes to go to abandoned sites and takes interesting pictures.

Too cool! Its sad that a building which has only been vacant for 9 years could be such a dump in a short period of time. I always wanted to see an abandoned bowling alley fully equipped, but looking at these pics it is only a dream to see. If i was there i would snag a few shoes for my friends so they dont have to rent any in the future.

Looks like the Pumphry brothers were there.

I go into abandoned buildings and take pictures a lot. some of my pics are gone now but I am still on the lookout for a cool place to take more. Very cool set too. If I were there you know it wouldn't be abandoned anymore, as I take a souvenir from every building I go in.

Nice National/Panasonic. I like it.

As for UE, what a neat hobby. There is so much fascinating history out there, just waiting to be discovered.

I've always like Urban Exploration; just have yet to find a viable target near me. The thing that strikes me about those Japanese ruins is that in many of them the fittings are all still there, many of them in excellent shape. The Hotel Royal especially, with its leather sofas, televisions, microwave ovens, and everything seemingly left as if the people in charge left on a day's notice. Very unusual.

I really enjoy urban exploration. Its people like this guy who were not affraid to go in and take a look and get pictures to share for everyone. Its interesting to see abandoned buildings, using your imagination, you can get a sense of what it was like when these buildings were still fuctioning. After seeing those pictures, I didn't realize "f-you" was a global word as seen in the graffiti!! ha
Back around 1999 my friend and I broke into an abandoned school where grew up to see what was inside. "Lincoln School" which was closed and left untouched since 1978! It was unreal, everything was totally destroyed, decayed hardwood floors. We didn't have digital cameras then, so we took VHS video of our exploration with a 1988 panasonic video recorder that my friend had. It was similar to looking at this, however, there was no graffiti.

Believe it or not, there are some ruins not too far from me. I visited them in '91, & was FASCINATED-and frankly, distressed-that anyone would let sauch a magnificent bldg go to rack & ruin. Another thing was that I couldn't quite shake the odd feeling I was being watched the whole time I was there...Yet I was utterly alone, I KNOW I was...

I'm happy to see that National-Panasonic TV in one piece, amid all the rubble. I wonder if it still works. :scratch2:

Looking at those pictures, I couldn't help but wonder what a fun, vibrant place that bowling center must have been in its heyday, and when it was new. IMO, it probably could have held its own against most 1970s US lanes.

I did not realize that such expressions as "F--- you" had gone international as early as the seventies. Hmmm. Makes one wonder what has happened to the world in the last 30-odd years. :scratch2: I hate to think what new slang phrases may appear as graffiti on walls of abandoned buildings 30 years from now.

Having grown up in the suburbs of Cleveland (never lived in the city itself), I haven't had much of a chance to do much (if any) urban exploration. However, I have seen pictures, on television and elsewhere, of abandoned buildings, many once very elegant and well-built, now in ruins, much as the Tokyo bowling center under discussion here. The elementary school in the suburb in which I grew up was one such building. It was constructed in 1959 and was very well maintained, but declining enrollment and other issues forced it to close in the early 1980s. It was used as a senior citizens' center until about five years ago, then it was torn down. Now, all that's left of that once magnificent (by late 1950s standards) building is...nothing. I am told (I haven't seen the building since I moved away nine years ago) there is now just a vacant lot where the school my friends and I went through 1st through sixth grade together (from 1962-'68) once stood.

Sad. Very sad.

There is an abandoned Nike Site in my plan, we used to go there as kids to look around. We even went down into the missile silos. I was hoping to score something left behind like some old radio equipment but never did. :( If you want an interesting take on how buildings deteriorate over time, try getting the book or the documentary from the History Channel, "Life After People."

Thanks, I love that kind of stuff.

Rick

There is an abandoned Nike Site in my plan, we used to go there as kids to look around. We even went down into the missile silos. I was hoping to score something left behind like some old radio equipment but never did.
My brother took me to an old Nike missile base in a suburb northwest of Chicago about 10 years ago, it was quite interesting even though the missile silos themselves were well locked and blocked. Recently, it was redeveloped into some kind of public or school sports center with the name "Nike" in its title; I bet every kid who ever goes there will think it is named for the stupid shoe company.

My brother took me to an old Nike missile base in a suburb northwest of Chicago about 10 years ago, it was quite interesting even though the missile silos themselves were well locked and blocked. Recently, it was redeveloped into some kind of public or school sports center with the name "Nike" in its title; I bet every kid who ever goes there will think it is named for the stupid shoe company.

I know the powers that be covered up the entrances to the silos up with dirt and so on. Still, I might go up there and take a look with my camera, see what it is like, I haven't been up there since the mid 1980's.

More interesting old Japanese sets from the same site:

http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/2009%202feb%20nichitsu%20town/nichitsu%20town%2090020.jpg

http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/2009%202feb%20nichitsu%20town/nichitsu%20town%2090029.jpg

http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/02/nichitsu-ghost-town-3-town-and-environs/

The badge on that last one almost looks like it says General Electric, but judging by the control center it looks like a Panasonic/Matsushita set.