15. The Village of Dolls
Well, there’s a true-to-life one in Nagoro, Japan. The small village is located in the remote,
mystical valley of Shikoku. The place is so tiny, it doesn’t even have
a shop or market. Being so far away from life and work, many
of the village’s residents have abandoned it for big cities. As a result, Nagoro was becoming a ghost town…which
would be far less ominous than what it’s eventually become. More than a decade ago, Ayano [Ai-on-OO] Tsukimi
[soo-KIM-ee] took it upon herself to repopulate the village. But not with people; with dolls. Tsukimi had a calling. She returned home. And as she watched villagers abandon the village,
one after the other, she began to create giant dolls to represent the people who left, whether
they passed 0or left the village for bigger and brighter places. Now, the village is populated with 350 of
these dolls. They fill the streets, the local schools,
the abandoned homes, the park benches. Made out of fabric, straw, and second-hand
clothes, the dolls were successors of a scarecrow Tsukimi had made to look like her father. You can take a walk through the Valley of
Dolls via a documentary of the same name, by Fritz Schumann. The doc explores the crazy world Tsukimi has
created, the work she puts into making the dolls, and the effect the town full of inanimate
“people” has on those who visit. 14. Tomb Stone Eviction Notices
Can the passed on be evicted from their tombs? In Japan, they can. Tombstones in Japan have been known to receive
eviction notices from unruly landlords, such as the one who owns Kyoto’s 8th century
temple. And who’s supposed to make the back payment
for the plot? The dearly departed, below deck? No, actually the living family members are
supposed to pay up, and when that doesn’t happen, their poor grandmother or long lost
cousin is removed from their peaceful resting place to make room for those who can afford
the rent. With a population of 127 million on the relatively
small island nation, it’s no wonder that every square foot of land counts. 13. Hashima Island
The 16-acre Hashima Island, often called Battleship Island, lies 15 kilometers from Nagasaki in
the south of Japan. The island was once inhabited but has long
been abandoned, though its concrete buildings remain. The sea walls of the island and undersea coal
mines established there also symbolize Japan’s rapid industrialization in the 19th and 20th
centuries. At the height of its population in the mid-20th
century, upwards of 5,000 people lived on Hashima. However, as reserves of coal depleted by 1974,
a “closed” sign was hung over the mine, and residents left the island for a brighter
future. For three decades, the island was long forgotten. But the turn of the century saw a resurgence
of interest in Hashima, as tourism abounded. Wanting to take a step back in time, tourists
flocked to the ruins of the place, which has been undisturbed and untouched since the 70’s. In 2015, the mysterious ghost town became
a UNESCO World Heritage site. 12. Aokigahara Forest
For those who choose to end their life, this forest is an aptly place to do it. The 30-square-kilometer forest northwest of
Mount Fuji is a paradise of hardened lava, ice-filled caves, and densely-treed forest…and,
to some, it’s the perfect place to live out their last moments on this earth. The forest is known for its solitude, and
for the yurei [you-RAY] that reside there. These are mythological ghosts who historically
have made this forest their home. More recently, it has become infamous for
being a destination to end your own life. It is so pervasive there, that prevention
signs have been placed along trails and groups of volunteers help rake the forest to search
for people each year. Earlier this year, Franz Lidz, of Smithsonian
magazine, wrote in a comprehensive article about the forest: “Distraught teens and
other troubled souls straggle through the 7,680-acre confusion of pine, boxwood and
white cedar. In the eerie quiet, it’s easy to lose your
way and those with second thoughts might struggle to retrace their steps.” 11. Dragon's Triangle
You’ve heard of the Bermuda Triangle, but have you heard of Dragon’s Triangle. This mysterious area of the Pacific Ocean
off the Japanese coast is known as one of the 12 Vile Vortices. What’s a Vile Vortex? It’s a region in which the Earth’s electromagnetic
waves have the most powerful pull. In fact, the pull of the Dragon’s Triangle
is directly opposite the Bermuda Triangle, leaving some to believe that the energies
of the two are somehow linked. And, mysteriously, they’re both known for
their strange phenomena. Disappearances of large vessels, like planes
and ships, have been known to regularly occur in Dragon’s Triangle. Ghost ships akin to the Black Pearl of Pirates
of the Caribbean fame have also been seen there, floating foggily through the sea, like
a haunting nightmare. The strange activities occurring in Dragon’s
Triangle span centuries. In 1000 B.C. fables gave the sea its name,
as the Chinese thought a sea dragon of some kind laid in wait for ships and other floating
vessels. When those directing the ships least expected
it, the hungry dragon would launch up from the depths and eat the vessels whole. Flash forward to the 13th century, when Kublai
Khan made several attempts to cross Dragon’s Triangle and conquer Japan. 40,000 men and uncounted vessels were lost
to the Dragon’s Triangle. The 19th century saw new tales being told
about the haunted area. A ghostly woman was said to be sailing a ship
around the Dragon’s Triangle. Even attempts to investigate the area for
clues as to why such disappearances occur have failed, as research vessels, like the
Kaio Maru No. 5, seem to vanish into thin air. 31 people were aboard that ship, never to
be heard from again. That was in 1952. After that, the Japanese government put the
kibosh on transportation and voyaging through the Triangle. The Dragon’s Triangle, a book by Charles
Berlitz, claims that vessels still traveled there over the next two years, and five ships
with 700 people aboard went missing. While others have attempted to debunk this
mystery as something that can be explained away by natural phenomena (like undersea volcanos),
some still cling to the myths and legends. What do you think? Are there ghost vessels and massive dragons
destroying everything that crosses their path in Dragon’s Triangle, or is the seismic
and volcanic activity in the area evidence enough to point to nature as the curse? Until it happens to one of us as we venture
into the Triangle, we may never know. 10. Monster Octopus
Our oceans are mysterious places. So much of the sea is obscured in darkness,
we truly don’t know what is down there, drifting in the deep dark depths. Who’s to say there aren’t ancient creatures,
massive and terrifying, just waiting to stir up trouble on the surface? One such mysterious creature may lie in the
waters off the island of Hokkaido [how-KAI-doe] in northern Japan. Since ancient times, the indigenous Ainu people
have told of a gigantic octopus which they call the Akkorokamui [ah-core-ROK-uh-mew-ee]. Prowling Funka [fun-ka] Bay, also known as
Volcano Bay, the sinister octopus is bookended by two great and equally sinister volcanoes. The massive octopus is similar to Norway’s
famous beast, the Kraken. It’s believed to be bright red and incandescent
and around 110 meters in length, that’s 360 feet. Some claim to have seen it from a long way
off, and the Ainu blame the hostile creature for sinking vessels that dare to venture into
its territory. Those on land aren’t safe from the great
octopus’ tentacle reach either. The octopus is believed to reel onto the beaches
of the island, grasping victims and pulling them into the water to feast on. The Ainu aren’t the only ones to have witnessed
the beast’s presence in the area. John Batchelor, an English missionary who
visited the island in the 19th century to write about Ainu life, claims to have witnessed
the monster at work while there. His account states:
“In the morning, we found the whole village under a cloud. Three men, it was said, were out trying to
catch swordfish, when all at once a great sea monster, with large staring eyes, appeared
in front of them ... The monster was round in shape, and emitted a dark fluid and noxious
odor. The three men fled in dismay, not so much
indeed for fear, they say, but on account of the dreadful smell. However that may have been, they were so scared
that the next morning all three refused to get up and eat; they were lying in their beds
pale and trembling.” Folklore or not, I wouldn’t put a toe in
the waters off the island of Hokkaido. Something fishy is certainly going on there. 9. Double-Tooth Fashion Trend
While Americans are known for obsessing over impossibly straight teeth, the Japanese are
trending in the opposite direction. Crooked “snaggle” teeth are in. They’re so “in” that a new dental procedure,
called “yaeba,” is all the rage in Japan, which literally translates to “double tooth.” This mysterious procedure runs anywhere from
$170-450 per tooth, depending upon if the upper canines are capped temporarily or permanently. Just one question: WHY? According to Taro Masuoka, “Yaeba gives
girls an impish cuteness. It’s a sense of beauty unique to the Japanese,
but yaeba can be an attractive feature on women in their teens and twenties.” 8. Banishment Rooms
In nearly any other country in the world, if you’re not a team player, bosses are
more than willing to show you the door. Although being fired is never a happy occasion,
it happens, and no one really bothers about it all that much. They just cut ties with their old employers
and find new ones. Not in Japan. Japanese businesses don’t want to pay severance
packages to fired employees. They also don’t want to disgrace the employee’s
honor by up and firing them. So what do they do instead? They invite these lackluster bunch to take
a seat in a “banishment room.” The banishment room is a lonely place. An employee’s time is spent doing mind-numbingly
boring busywork, whether that’s staring at a monitor for hours on end, filling out
a pointless spreadsheet with figures, or being tasked with shredding “documents.” Some use the time productively and work on
furthering their education; others read. The place is like a recreation center, in
some respects. Maybe that doesn’t sound so bad to you,
but for those wishing to further their careers, the days, months, or maybe even years spent
in a banishment room is wasted time. The goal of the banishment room is to trigger
the employee’s resignation. It’s a passive-aggressive approach to letting
an employee go without actually having to say the words, “You’re fired!” Believe it or not, this mysterious room is
commonplace in Japan. It’s not a rare practice and is, in fact,
regularly used in big companies like Toshiba, Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic. Some companies even call the banishment room
their “Business and Human Resources Development Center” to avoid the connotation that “banishment”
might bring. At one point, 468 employees were having the
life drained from them in the so-called “Center” at Panasonic. Imagine being banished, wasting your life
away in a painfully plain room on pointless tasks. It’s certainly not a pretty picture. 7. Work/Travel Napping
The Japanese work hard, so they deserve a nap-time. And most get it, either at work or on public
transportation. According to yahoo finance, “Overtime work
[in Japan] has increased as firms cut workforces. About 22% of Japanese employees work 50 hours
or more each week on average, well above 11% in the U.S., and 6% in Spain, according to
the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.” Despite labor laws permitting only an 8-hour
work day and a 40-hour work week, many Japanese people work far more than that. One IBM worker in the article said she worked
an average of 18 to 20 hours per day. This may be one of the reasons this crazy
invention was developed: the subway chin rest. Pictured here, it allows tired Japanese workers
on their commute to and from work to sleep standing up. Another interesting bit of Japanese culture
– a bit that many of us would like to adopt – is that bosses often encourage their employees
to sleep on the job. Yep, you heard that right. Hard workers don’t even have to clock out
to nap; they can just fall asleep at their chair. It’s no wonder bosses don’t mind their
workers taking a little nap if they’re pulling shifts upwards of 18 hours a day. The act is not only tolerated by the higher
ups; it’s actually lauded by them, because it means the employee is working hard. In fact, some claim to pretend to nap, just
so they can win some kudos from upper management. Only in Japan. 6. Adult Adoption
Who would want to adopt a 20-to-30-year-old man? The Japanese, that’s who. Adult adoption is a thing in Japan – and
a popular thing, at that. Adult adoption is believed to have begun in
the 13th century in Pure Land Buddhism and expanded between 1600-1868 AD, during which
time Samurais would adopt sons to strengthen their standing in society and business. Particularly for families with no sons to
carry on the father’s line, the adopted son would stay the family name. The mystery of this practice is solved when
you understand that the family name means everything in Japan. If a family hopes to spread their name, ancestry,
and estate, they can adopt young adults who they think might be ambitious and talented
enough to make a name for themselves in the business world, so to speak, and thereby strengthen
and expand the family name of their adopted parents. The practice works as a social and economic
tool for mobility. With one of the highest adoption rates globally,
Japanese adoption often occurs to secure an heir. In fact, according to stats, more than 98%
of adoptions in 2004 were processed for this very reason, with many of the adoptees being
adult males. In 2011, upwards of 90% of Japanese adoptions
were of 20-to-30-year-old adult males. Adult adoption was not always looked upon
fondly. In fact, in the early 20th century, it was
thought to be emasculating, with the adopted male being considered equivalent to a bride,
since he took the surname of his wife’s parents. However, as the practice became more and more
related to capitalism and economic opportunism, adult adoption began to be lauded as sensible. The practice has also led to the creation
of dating sites specifically for those young men looking to be adopted for the purposes
of becoming a successor in business. 5. The Swimming Pool Illusion
This pool was created as an installation by artist, Leandro Erlich. The permanent exhibit, located at the 21st
Century Museum of Contemporary Art, is an optical illusion of sorts, making it appear
as if visitors are over their heads in nine feet of water. Normally, magicians never tell their magic
tricks but, in this case, we’ll spill the beans. In actuality, the “swimming pool” is nothing
but an empty room. Erlich placed two transparent sheets of glass
at the pool’s surface, between which 10 cm of rippling water is stored, creating the
illusion. Visitors can check out the exhibit from above
or below. When visitors above peer into the pool, it
appears as though many fully-dressed people are submerged. Those “below water” can look up and see
viewers watching them in astonishment. Talk about a fishbowl effect. The senses are confused, the mind is confused,
everyone leaves confused. And Erlich has done his job as an artist. 4. A Seriously Old Business
The oldest company in the world, Kongō Gumi, has its home in Japan. It’s a construction company that originated
around 1,400 years ago and was known as the oldest continuous independent company in the
world. In 2006, it was absorbed by another and is
now a subsidiary. The construction company started out as a
family-owned company in 578 AD. It was then that a skilled immigrant, Kongō
Gumi, started the company after the Prince invited him to Japan from a then-kingdom of
South Korea. He was brought there to construct a Buddhist
Temple and, throughout the years, the company helped build many of Japan’s most famous
buildings – Osaka Castle built in the 1500s, for instance. As mentioned previously in this list, the
family name in Japan is very important. In fact, many of the family’s son-in-laws
were adopted by the Kongo family. 3. Tako Tamago
Hungry for a midnight snack? Head out onto the streets of Tokyo for some
delectable Japanese street food. If you’re looking to try something really
strange, mysterious, and unique to Japan, delight your taste buds with the Tako Tamago. A bit squeamish? Then you might not want to know what this
one is…but take one look at it, and you’ll get the idea. The Tako Tamago is basically a baby octopus
on a stick. Yep, a whole baby octopus. What’s even stranger is that its head isn’t
empty: it’s filled with quail egg. The octopus baby is then candied, speared
on a skewer, and chomped away on like a lollipop. The chewy snack is a mainstay on the streets
of Japan. 2. Hikikomori
It’s fair to say that the culture of Japan can be isolating. With long workdays, hours on the clock, and
a tendency to be more polite than gregarious, Japan’s youth and adults are experiencing
– and becoming – Hikikomori [hick-ee-come-or-ee], which literally translates to “pulling inward,
being confined.” In other words, “acute social withdrawal.” In 2010, the Japanese government released
statistics showing that 700,000 people in the country met the description of hikikomori,
with the average age of those suffering the condition being 31. Those who are reclusive and uninterested – or
even fearful – of socializing become more and more isolated and confined. These “modern-day hermits” are not your
average socially awkward teenagers. They are those who take isolation to the extreme,
often locking themselves in their homes of six months at a time. As more and more young people isolate themselves,
researchers are looking closer at the condition. It is now diagnosed when the following criteria
have been met: The patient spends most of every day isolated
at home The patient avoids social interactions and
situations The patient is functionally impaired
There is no physical impairment that causes the symptoms
The condition lasts at least six months Some have sited societal and worldly pressures
as reason enough to develop this condition. Others have said a lack of friendships and
other relationships may be to blame. The stresses of adult life – responsibilities
and financial burdens – may also come into play. Whatever the cause or causes may be, the mystery
of this condition of angst is certainly overwhelming many. Before we get to number 1, my name is Chills
and I hope you’re enjoying the video so far. If you've ever been curious as to what I look
like in real life, then follow me on Instagram @dylan_is_chillin_yt, with underscores instead
of spaces. I also have Twitter @YT_Chills where I post
video updates. I'd really appreciate it if you followed me
and feel free to send me a DM if you have a questions or suggestions. If you’d like to see more of these videos
in the future, then hit that subscribe button because we upload new countdowns every Tuesday
and Saturday. 1. Miyakejima
While it’s common to see some in heavily polluted cities wear surgical masks to prevent
the inhalation of the pollution, there’s an island in Japan in which residents wear
gas masks. All. The. Time. Stood over a chain of volcanoes, Miyakejima
[me-yok-ay-jee-ma] Island has known some volcanic activity in the past couple decades. In fact, in 2000, 3,600 residents were forced
to flee their homes, due to natural gas from the underground. Miyakejima isn’t safe at all. Volcanoes have erupted a half dozen times
there in the past 100 years, alone, and 17,500 earthquakes shook the island after the eruption
of Mount Oyama [oy-yam-uh] in June 26th, 2000. Eruptions, earthquakes, 10 mile-high ash plumes,
sulfur dioxide and, yet, residents have returned to the island with their gas masks on. Why would anyone want to live on the next
Pompeii? The dreary atmosphere is enough to turn most
off to the island, but after five years of entry being prohibited by the government,
the doors opened back up to Miyakejima. And 2,800 residents flooded in to repopulate
the sulfuric dioxide-filled island in their gas masks. Although access to some areas continues to
be restricted by the government, and health checks are a regular thing, the gas mask-clad
residents seem to be doing fine there…so far. In fact, a whole new world of tourism has
opened up. Ferry stations sell disposable masks to aid
gas mask tourists in visiting this village. Tours of lava-destroyed schools, melting vehicles,
and empty homes show the destructive nature of the elements. And, believe it or not, people will pay to
see it. Thanks for checking out this video. Be sure to subscribe because we upload new
countdowns every Tuesday and Saturday. Or if you're still not convinced, here are
some of our other videos that I think you'd like. Enjoy!
