A lot of people don't realize how strict Japanese law is. If you get caught trespassing somewhere like this, an exclusion zone, you will get at the minimum 30 days detention before you even see a judge, then you could get a few years in prison or a huge fine! Its not just the Japanese being respectful, they have strong laws to prevent people even thinking of doing this kind of stuff in the first place. I hope these foreign travel vloggers know what they are getting themselves into!
its not that exactly...The Japanese have very strict laws. In North America you get a slap on the wrist for doing a lot of fked up shit. Meanwhile you do something not even that bad in japan and you could be fined heavily and jailed. Its just not worth exploring if you might go to jail for years for it lol
@@st7rdstyeah, this case is different because of the radiation - it’s actually dangerous to explore these areas so it’s understandable that no vandals have touched it.
I would have been 6-7 years old when this happened. It's weird to see a school with all the bags, paintings and everything without the staff and students. It's also weird to think that the kids who left it and were forced to leave everything behind, inside the school and inside their homes, are my age. Really sad stuff.
This area is in an exclusion zone and will likely be so for a very long time. You have to get permission to even enter. It hasn't been vandalized or looted because low lives cant get to it.
@@larkreid7960 That's not why it's untouched. When I was living in South Korea my bf took me to his old school which was abandoned (no reason that we know of), it was also totally untouched despite being in town and easily accessible. Korea and Japan have very similar cultures of respect. Almost no one will vandalize and disrespect a property or place, especially if children were involved.
I was teaching overseas when this happened... it was so sad. One of my classmates I went to college with lost their life in the disaster... so many students/teachers/people lost their lives, and so many people went missing . Prayers to all the families still feeling the effects and pain.
Hey Dave, thank you for making us aware of this disaster, up close and personal. It puts everything into perspective, news reports, just can't do this. My heart breaks for these children, and I pray they are thriving adults today. I hope someone that was there see's this and gets in touch with you, I would love to know how they felt going through this and how they are today. Thank you for taking us along. Safe travels. Love from N.Y.
Wow Dave! What a find! I can't believe all their bags etc are still there, it really puts their existence into place. It really would be amazing if one of the students saw this and gave us a little story about the day they had to evacuate.. Thank you for bringing us with you! Looking forward to the next❤
At around 15:40, there are Rondeseru back packs that look like cases. I saw a documentary on them and how they're custom made and expensive. I appreciate how respectful your were to set things back to how they were. Because things are abandoned does not mean license to just overturn. Well done. Stay safe, you all.
I love that you look at things and put it back exactly where it was when you found it. You show so much respect for people’s things even though they abandoned it. Much respect there. ✊
I hope this video reaches the students who had to leave everything behind on that fateful day fearing for their lives. Imagine coming back to their classrooms and recognising their belongings from over a decade ago. This is so heartbreaking 💔
Perhaps that's why they never return. To avoid the trauma of having to see these. If they went back to take their belongings and realised some couldn't make it back, wouldn't that be traumatizing?
This has got to be one of the sadest videos I`ve seen in a long while just seeing all the childrens bags on class room desks. Homes evacuated and every thing left behind, never to have families to return very very sad. All the men women and children that died in these diasters.Awesome video, Keep up the good work. And guys please take care and be safe out their.Missing Mark very much to traveling along with you guys. BE SAFE ❤X
This is a verry sad Video...the children....the build so nice Things...the Bags and clothes of the children...its so sad....thanks dave for this great Video...pleace take care of you....its so important....we love you....stay save.....
I’m a teacher of kids this age and this is a hard watch. I can’t imagine any student having to leave their carefully packed bags like that: it shows how quickly they needed to leave. When you pair this up with, for example, knowledge that family pets were left behind too-as there are now generations of dogs that continue on there-you get a sense of the level of loss that these young kids experienced. Others saw all washed away but these just had to walk away, making me wonder if they ever think about those items. (An aside: how did this school get through a 9+ earthquake looking far tidier than my class did after just regular school today? 😂)
I love seeing this stuff, makes me think about the lives of the people that had to leave, where they are now and seeing whats left behind is a powerful reminder of the glimpse that we all call life.
Wow! It’s in reasonable condition for what it’s been through. Such a shame and so sad for the families that had to leave. How heartbreaking for them. Awesome explore, thanks Dave! Wishing Poppy all the best with school 🥰 So cute when they’re at that age.💗
Tossaway comment, I didn't see if anyone else mentioned it, but I'm fairly certain the expiry on the soda was August 3, 2011 which would make more sense. I know here in the US, our system for denoting dates is considered weird (Month/Day/Year) whereas in Japan it would typically be Year, Month, Day. Moving on, this video really helps define just how quickly they evacuated, not even time to take your backpack. It must have been freaky as hell on that day for a child not understanding what was happening.
Such a heart wrenching video, great explore, but all those children😢 I can’t imagine how they felt having to leave their little bags behind that maybe they had together that morning or mum had with maybe lunch, or notes. It was still fascinating to see, maybe all schools aren’t all that different after all. The gym was huge! Trying to imagine all of those children as adults now, or did some of them not make it to adulthood. Image them running across your video and thinking, oh - there’s my class, and that’s my desk. Oh there’s my Hello Kitty bag, I Ioved it and had to leave it. Nice to see you all checking the air for radiation, wondered about that when you were at that deserted clothing store earlier. Please stay safe, I’ d hate to see you miss little poppet’s 1st day of school❤ Thank you for sharing & be safe❤
Wow Dave! Incredible really, especially when you said all of those children albeit their school is frozen in time, they're all adults now!! They have children of their own I bet!! Stay safe!
My best friend was stationed in the navy over there and on that day was planning on going on leave to come home for a month. He opted to stay behind and help, coming home in December, instead. It’s very interesting to see these things! Thank you for sharing!
I met a women who survived this, she flew to the states when I was in 3rd grade to stay with her daughter and my teacher until her house was restructured. It was sweet even though she went through that she still brought the kids Japanese candy and authentic origami papers that was when I fell in love with Japanese
How sad seeing all the wee kids schoolbags still sat there, makes ya wonder what those kids are doing now and if they all survived. The school itself is beautiful and seems quite high tec for its age. So well layed out. Even amongst what must've been terrifying for all involved, the place is still reasonably neat and tidy. I love how you relate to your own school days and your wee girl. Would love to know what those kids are doing now. Great video Dave and as usual done with care and respect. Thank you. ❤
@@banditt18 the bags you're seeing are called "randoseru", they're pure leather bags that can be as expensive as 500$!. They're such good quality that it's traditional for the student to keep them from grade 1 until grade 6 (all elementary school) and after that, it's passed to a younger sibling if they have the same sex (red bags are traditionally for girls, blue and black for boys). That's why they're still in such good condition😊
😢 Wow such a sad video. I can't believe they had to leave all their belongings behind. I mean their shoes in the cubbies and bags on the desk. Such a shame. Great video Dave!
I could've easily been a student in that school. I was 9 when the tsunami struck in East Japan in 2011. If I am Japanese, and was living in that area then, it's no doubt my belongings would've remained in one of these classrooms till today. How insane could that have been? Not to mention the amount of lives lost... kids, teens, adults and elderlies. How devastating of a news to just anybody to find out that you're missing a family member or loved ones... If I was in that position, I never would've wanted to return to the town, much less the school itself. It's such a sensitive period to many Japanese at the time. Whether it is out of culture or respect, it would take years of building courage to overcome the fear of returning to your old town to reminisce the tragedy in person. (That, or maybe they've moved on with their lives and have found it hard to return due to their schedules, regardless, we can't rule out the fact that trauma from these events could also be one underlying reason as to why a person would never want to return to that area again).
"...my belongings would've remained in one of these classrooms till today." It'll remain there long after you passed away, man. It'll take somewhere around 200 to 300 years to be deemed safe. And due to mass respect from Japanese, not even after all those years it'll remain intact and preserved, no overgrown trees and bushes unlike abandoned buildings in other countries that's overgrown after just 10-20 years.
I was born on January 6, 1971. That school is 51 years old. In such excellent condition not just for its age but being abandoned for 12 or 13 years now.
There is no cafeteria because the children’s lunch was put on carts and brought to each classroom to be served to the children, by the children who’s turn it was to be the lunch monitors. The children were in encouraged to be self sufficient
it is in such incredibly good shape! No real damage. Love there is no vandalism. Such a sad, sad situation. Can't imagine having to just walk away from everything you owed.
The room you said was the art room is actually the staff room, that room is where all the teachers would work during breaks and or when they didn’t have classes, the desk at the front of the room is usually for the principal and or head teacher. That’s why all the keys to the school were in that room
I remember the headline photo from national newspaper at my country from that time. It was a story about group of people who sacrifice themselves to keep the reactor cool (because of tsunami, the reactor's cooler is broken, iirc), knowing the radiation will kill them, but they chose to do that to allow many other people survive.
It was even more horrible because they couldn't prevent radiation from spilling in the ocean and even one particle in a fish is lethal to the person consuming it. They were unable to get containment.
That was an awesome explore Dave. Gosh one of my dreams is to adventure in Japan. It's terrible that they experienced such a devastating earthquake followed by a such an enormous tsunami. The Fukushima nuclear disaster was just another horror added to the mix. It is amazing that you are able to explore there. Thank you for all that you do Dave. Wish Marky could have been with you but life is life and he must do what he needs. But always thinking about him. Looking forward to your next explore adventure. Much love, peace out.
Don't hesitate to visit this beautiful country! Tourists are looked after...Every mode of transport is taken care of language wise...You will never get lost..
How sad is this video , all the children’s bags etc just left , all those poor people who lost their lives , Thankyou Dave for showing us this as it makes you more appreciative for what we have in our lives ❤
The Japanese respect and take pride in their belongings and others belongings as well. Look how clean everything is even though its abandoned. Its wonderful to see a beautiful example of such pride.
It'll be abandoned for 500 years and it'll still be as tidy as if they just left. Of course it's off limits to people, but even _animals_ and wildlife don't vandalize this place. In Japan, even animals respect cleanliness, something we can never see in any other country. A stark contrast to Pripyat, Ukraine, just a few km's away from the doomed Chernobyl Plant. The buildings are vandalized, not by people, but by wildlife!!! Dogs, tigers, etc. pee or defaecate inside those buildings, or breaks windows by their claws.
For anyone wondering the board at 9:48 said (Fri.) layer Samai Shugyo Ceremony Practice at 2:00 a.m. in the Physical Education Center Matanuha Jr. High graduation ceremony 8:45 Soujunior High/Honkan Principal Town lunch chief's meeting 15:00 Town Hall Yamada Waxing after school 1Submission of report card aids High School Meals From 3/5 (Tue.), the main building will be used as the venue for the academic ceremony. Contact Vacation Vacation Tanaka(8:00~14:864 Usami (1) Kimura 10:85~ Honestly kinda sad it looks like they had a ceremony. :(
I lived in Fukushima. A lot of the schedule you videoed at the 10 min. mark on the board is for graduation ceremony practice on 3.11. Schools in Japan graduate in March and begin the new school year in April. My heart breaks watching this video.
This was so sad Dave. All the bags left on the desks. So sad. Thanks for the news reports at the beginning and end. All these little houses just left, so sad.Thanks lots for doing this xx ♥️
It's so sad to see all their bags on the tables. Imagine how it would feel to be in school and have to evacuate, especially the tiny ones 😢 They must have been so scared x
As someone who has studied Japanese for 11 years (and still going), I would love to sit down and talk to a student from this school. When you said one place was a nursery, it wasn’t. It was a classroom for year 5 students. The board in the staff room was also talking about stuff like graduation and vacation etc.
Fascinating video. I live about 100km south of Fukushima and work in a public school. I've driven through the exclusion zone but didn't stop to explore. It's very sobering to pause and think about what these people experienced. Also, Japanese schools don't have cafeterias, they eat in their classrooms.
Former students of this school would probably feel nostalgic seeing all their things still where they left it. Also would remind them of the last time they had a little fun in that place just a few minutes before the disaster struck.
I remember hearing about the tragedy when I was 7, just coming back from school. those kids were probably the same age as me too, I'm 19 now. all the school bags laying on the desk is heartbreaking🥲
Shows how quickly thet had to leave, that satchel you opened are really expensive to buy and are meant for the child to use throughout their time at school from starting to leaving. So so sad what they went through.
Great video Dave very interesting to see how it is now, thanks for sharing 👍❤I'm loving this series so far, look forward to seeing your next upload 👍❤stay safe xx
Great upload❤ it's so sad seeing all the children's belongings left behind 😢 but if they stopped to collect their belongings things would have been so devastating for their familys and loved ones. Also just want to say lively seeing Josh on this live that man ❤ from London uk 🇬🇧 xoxo
Dave! So proud of you, look at what your doing 🥰 I’ve been so busy atm and haven’t been able to catch up on all your latest videos but I will as soon as possible but just seeing what your doing and where your going is amazing, keep up your good work 💞 hope your all okay x
Amazing school my heart goes out to all the victims and people killed in the earthquake in Japan the school is amazing and the classroom rooms love the layout totally awesome video Dave dan josh from Australia ❤👍🍻🇦🇺
You just got a new subscriber! Thanks for sharing - I've noticed everything still looks good. RIP to those who lost their lives - sincere condolences to their families and this school community, several years later!
This is what the world should be full of respect hats off to Japanese ppl for teaching your kids this I have an old Japanese customer everyday he bows and greets me his like 80 I'm an Aussie so cause he respects me I bow back lower to show him more respect he got a little smile on his face and nodded said nothing but I knew he like and appreciated it
Oh! My gosh! Everything seem untouched! Honestly this really shows that the Japanese really RESPECT people belongings. Yes we should never take or touch anything that are not ours! Thank u so much Dave for sharing and uploading this useful video about what happened in Fukushima
Because, it's Japan!! Not even mother nature tries to disturb abandoned buildings. Even if it's abandoned for another 100-200 years, you won't see shrubs or mosses growing in it.
For a place that experienced such a big earthquake most everything is in great condition, nothing knocked over, furniture is in place, items remain on shelves. Strange?
Exactly! No one else points out … probably it was a disaster connected with radiation and not earthquake!! Reminds me of Pripyat of Chernobyl nuclear disaster , the abandoned conditions…,
The schools and most of the infrastructure is built to withstand earthquakes, even to that degree. Most of the injuries and deaths were due to the tsunami after the fact rather than the earthquake itself. :( A lot of stuff here is built and bolted down with that in mind. In schools I imagine there’s an even bigger emphasis on making sure things will not fall on kiddos when it gets bad.
I wish I could do what you do, I am so into abandoned places and spooky things that stay with them, I get to enjoy exploring through you, keep up the fascinating videos love them!!!
And they would never leave those black and red backpacks unless it was an emergency, they cost $100 each and are supposed to last them all through elementary school.
Judging from the kanji on the wall it looks like the school you were in was a combined Elementary and Junior High school. (小中学校) which is not uncommon in smaller towns where the shrinking population forces schools to merge. The month of the school being March also means there would have been a number of graduation ceremonies (卒業式) taking place (Japanese school year starts in April). You can see this written on the chalkboard along with a sports day for the middle school (中体育会. You were also in the teacher’s lounge not a crafts room. It’s where all the teachers do paperwork and have meetings.
Hi Dave & Crew, In Japan!!😊 This was a Amazing find, so Sad for All the Children & People in the School after the Earthquake & had to leave!! So Sad for the Tsunami to take out so many People, Children & their homes & businesses!! As for your comment on your Year with being in School with Desks with Inkwells, 1988...I too remember that but I go Further Back...I started school 1956 & had Inkwells, then flip desks, then just a desk, no draw or flip desk! Strange out of the rooms You showed only 1 room got Hit & 1 room the ceiling is Bad causing the floor to be bad! Plus outside strange No trees or Bushes show damage from earthquake or cracks on ground! Thanks Dave to show us this Abandoned School & Hope some of the Adult Children See this Video!!😉 Take care & Be safe Guys, Love You Loads, from Central Illinois USA🥰😎❤
That was so sad to see all those children's school books and personal items left behind. I can't imagine being a child and going those that traumatic experience. I'm so glad to see that you are smart enough to wear a face mask and it looks like a good one too I just hope none of you don't get sick from breathing and touching things in the red zone. Take care and be safe.
9:55 March, Sunday: (this part was blurry do to camera movement. But i think it actually might have been 月曜日 instead of 日曜日.) 1: Graduation Practice Two Edashiki hall 1 2: also, the intensive graduation ceremony 8:45 sanchu 3: sasho kabu town lunch chief meeting 15:00 Kabujo Yamada 4: After school 5: submission of notification table Shinsuke Book Nambu Shokugen Garden. Translated it the best i could.
It's like time stood still on 3/11/11, and the dust didn't even settle yet there on everything! At the time, it looks like they fled in such a hurry, as not to carry anything, probably the thought being, it was already being contaminated, and lugging their thing's may just slow them down! Great documentary vid Dave! & I bet your mate's would have liked to have been on this journey with you!
Ooh ok, yea Stove is there, yeb, & @ 29:28, where the small transistor radio is, and is actually an antique, I see an old telly, and it's got the bug tube in it! Wow!; and that to, that's retro!
It looks like this might have been a combined elementary/junior high school, and the junior high graduation ceremony was that morning, if I’m reading the board correctly. It makes me wonder if the bags were arranged on their desks to go home after a practice assembly for the elementary graduation ceremony. In that case they would’ve all been gathered and in gym shoes, so they might not have been able to go back for their stuff. That’s so sad :(
Oh that makes it even worse, the little kids looking forward to their fancy graduation ceremony and then they're suddenly leaving their school and their homes forever..
This reminds me of my school because in my school we practice emergency drills so when the alarm goes off we need to leave all of our stuff behind so this is probably what happened here.
I'm a teacher, and we practice emergency drills as well. During those practices, we have to lock our doors, so that explains why most of the doors are locked. It's really sad because I wonder how many teachers still have their room keys. 😢
This is sad, I can’t imagine how terrified the kids are. My son is studying in a Japanese school now and their classroom literally almost looks like here in the video.😢
Great video!! This school is amazing!! So sad to see everything left behind. And as a teacher, I HATE seeing all those Smart Boards just sitting there!! I have wanted one for my classroom for years. LOL
Bewildered by all the comments about things being left untouched and no vandalism. It's an exclusion zone. It was too dangerous to enter for *years* due to radiation. Even now you all are having to monitor radiation levels, and I bet if it got too high you'd have had to immediately leave. There is no amount of money that would make me willing to go there just to take stuff and vandalize things, even ignoring how disrespectful that would be. It's very good of you all to document this though. A heartwrenching subject, but one that both needs and deserves to be shown to the world. I can't imagine what it was like for all those people who had their lives upended like that, much less children.
It will never be a school again! Just for educational, scientific and tourist. Our world is getting full of void places where people will never come back😢 You can tell how much nature is taking it back already…
Wow 😮 this explore is incredible interesting and sad at the same time 😢you can imagine them being told to calmly take themselves out the building leaving all their stuff behind never to return 😢as always Dave you keep on giving amazing content thank you stay safe 😊🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 🇯🇵
So sad all their belongings left behind because it was necessary to evacuate the building quickly.And now it's all left like a time capsule.Must have an odd feeling of desertion about it .Thankyou.
this is a perfect example of what self-respect means. 12 years abandoned and no vandalism. my hat is off to the Japanese. great vid!
School children in Japan will greet you ..The culture is nothing like ours is..
@@kohedunn Our culture varies wherever you go, not to be generalized.
...you know why everything was left there, right?
A lot of people don't realize how strict Japanese law is. If you get caught trespassing somewhere like this, an exclusion zone, you will get at the minimum 30 days detention before you even see a judge, then you could get a few years in prison or a huge fine! Its not just the Japanese being respectful, they have strong laws to prevent people even thinking of doing this kind of stuff in the first place. I hope these foreign travel vloggers know what they are getting themselves into!
@@mason6300 I did not know that! what would they do with all of these u tubers breaking into everything?! i hope they don't get caught! thanks Mason
I have a lot of respect for the people of Japan. No graffiti. Nothing smashed or broken. Very respectful for others property.
its not that exactly...The Japanese have very strict laws.
In North America you get a slap on the wrist for doing a lot of fked up shit. Meanwhile you do something not even that bad in japan and you could be fined heavily and jailed.
Its just not worth exploring if you might go to jail for years for it lol
I can’t imagine for the life of me why students went missing in the first place but I’m glad I’m not there teacher right now
theres a few abandoned schools or buildings in japan that are pretty destroyed on the inside.
@@st7rdstyeah, this case is different because of the radiation - it’s actually dangerous to explore these areas so it’s understandable that no vandals have touched it.
@@jamessparkman6604wait.. so ur saying u were i teacher there…?
I would have been 6-7 years old when this happened. It's weird to see a school with all the bags, paintings and everything without the staff and students. It's also weird to think that the kids who left it and were forced to leave everything behind, inside the school and inside their homes, are my age. Really sad stuff.
This is what respect looks like. No destruction, no graffiti. No looting. Awesome.
This area is in an exclusion zone and will likely be so for a very long time. You have to get permission to even enter. It hasn't been vandalized or looted because low lives cant get to it.
@@larkreid7960 That's not why it's untouched. When I was living in South Korea my bf took me to his old school which was abandoned (no reason that we know of), it was also totally untouched despite being in town and easily accessible. Korea and Japan have very similar cultures of respect. Almost no one will vandalize and disrespect a property or place, especially if children were involved.
This is what fear of radiation looks like , did you even watch the same video? 😂
@@larkreid7960 It'll stay this way for at least 300 years before this zone becomes habitable again.
I was teaching overseas when this happened... it was so sad.
One of my classmates I went to college with lost their life in the disaster... so many students/teachers/people lost their lives, and so many people went missing .
Prayers to all the families still feeling the effects and pain.
Hey Dave, thank you for making us aware of this disaster, up close and personal. It puts everything into perspective, news reports, just can't do this. My heart breaks for these children, and I pray they are thriving adults today. I hope someone that was there see's this and gets in touch with you, I would love to know how they felt going through this and how they are today. Thank you for taking us along. Safe travels. Love from N.Y.
Wow Dave! What a find! I can't believe all their bags etc are still there, it really puts their existence into place. It really would be amazing if one of the students saw this and gave us a little story about the day they had to evacuate.. Thank you for bringing us with you! Looking forward to the next❤
All of the students passed away?
or some are still alive?
@Evelin overall there was survivors but these managed to evacuate
At around 15:40, there are Rondeseru back packs that look like cases. I saw a documentary on them and how they're custom made and expensive.
I appreciate how respectful your were to set things back to how they were. Because things are abandoned does not mean license to just overturn.
Well done.
Stay safe, you all.
I love that you look at things and put it back exactly where it was when you found it. You show so much respect for people’s things even though they abandoned it. Much respect there. ✊
I hope this video reaches the students who had to leave everything behind on that fateful day fearing for their lives. Imagine coming back to their classrooms and recognising their belongings from over a decade ago. This is so heartbreaking 💔
Perhaps that's why they never return. To avoid the trauma of having to see these. If they went back to take their belongings and realised some couldn't make it back, wouldn't that be traumatizing?
@@ms.chuisin7727 it makes sense 💔
This has got to be one of the sadest videos I`ve seen in a long while just seeing all the childrens bags on class room desks. Homes evacuated and every thing left behind, never to have families to return very very sad. All the men women and children that died in these diasters.Awesome video, Keep up the good work. And guys please take care and be safe out their.Missing Mark very much to traveling along with you guys. BE SAFE ❤X
This is a verry sad Video...the children....the build so nice Things...the Bags and clothes of the children...its so sad....thanks dave for this great Video...pleace take care of you....its so important....we love you....stay save.....
Some of those children might not even still be alive
I’m a teacher of kids this age and this is a hard watch. I can’t imagine any student having to leave their carefully packed bags like that: it shows how quickly they needed to leave. When you pair this up with, for example, knowledge that family pets were left behind too-as there are now generations of dogs that continue on there-you get a sense of the level of loss that these young kids experienced. Others saw all washed away but these just had to walk away, making me wonder if they ever think about those items.
(An aside: how did this school get through a 9+ earthquake looking far tidier than my class did after just regular school today? 😂)
They probably bought new backpacks and stuff
An aside question: it's Japan!!! That's the answer.
I love seeing this stuff, makes me think about the lives of the people that had to leave, where they are now and seeing whats left behind is a powerful reminder of the glimpse that we all call life.
Wow! It’s in reasonable condition for what it’s been through. Such a shame and so sad for the families that had to leave. How heartbreaking for them. Awesome explore, thanks Dave!
Wishing Poppy all the best with school 🥰
So cute when they’re at that age.💗
Tossaway comment, I didn't see if anyone else mentioned it, but I'm fairly certain the expiry on the soda was August 3, 2011 which would make more sense. I know here in the US, our system for denoting dates is considered weird (Month/Day/Year) whereas in Japan it would typically be Year, Month, Day. Moving on, this video really helps define just how quickly they evacuated, not even time to take your backpack. It must have been freaky as hell on that day for a child not understanding what was happening.
I was thinking the same.
No, it is day/ month/ year
I live in Japan now and it's year month day.
I think it was Pocari Sweat and the date was 2011.August.03
They have the same system as us in Sweden, it’s the year-month-day
Such a heart wrenching video, great explore, but all those children😢 I can’t imagine how they felt having to leave their little bags behind that maybe they had together that morning or mum had with maybe lunch, or notes. It was still fascinating to see, maybe all schools aren’t all that different after all. The gym was huge! Trying to imagine all of those children as adults now, or did some of them not make it to adulthood. Image them running across your video and thinking, oh - there’s my class, and that’s my desk. Oh there’s my Hello Kitty bag, I Ioved it and had to leave it. Nice to see you all checking the air for radiation, wondered about that when you were at that deserted clothing store earlier. Please stay safe, I’ d hate to see you miss little poppet’s 1st day of school❤ Thank you for sharing & be safe❤
Wow Dave! Incredible really, especially when you said all of those children albeit their school is frozen in time, they're all adults now!! They have children of their own I bet!! Stay safe!
Uh they would be teenagers 🤡 not having children of their own
@@XxKristinaaXx if they were like 12yrs old in 2011, they are 24 now. Thats adult
Something tells me that wouldn't necessarily be the case. Japan has a bad population issue going on right now and will be in the decades to come.
@@nardalis4832 that's true
My best friend was stationed in the navy over there and on that day was planning on going on leave to come home for a month. He opted to stay behind and help, coming home in December, instead. It’s very interesting to see these things! Thank you for sharing!
I met a women who survived this, she flew to the states when I was in 3rd grade to stay with her daughter and my teacher until her house was restructured. It was sweet even though she went through that she still brought the kids Japanese candy and authentic origami papers that was when I fell in love with Japanese
Amazing that the school was untouched. Hopefully they all got out safely
It'll stay untouched for at least another 100 years. Not even bushes dare to grow in it, let alone vandals destroying things.
How sad seeing all the wee kids schoolbags still sat there, makes ya wonder what those kids are doing now and if they all survived. The school itself is beautiful and seems quite high tec for its age. So well layed out. Even amongst what must've been terrifying for all involved, the place is still reasonably neat and tidy. I love how you relate to your own school days and your wee girl. Would love to know what those kids are doing now. Great video Dave and as usual done with care and respect. Thank you. ❤
only issue is those bags all look brand new no dust dirt no tears nothing says they been used ever
@@banditt18 the bags you're seeing are called "randoseru", they're pure leather bags that can be as expensive as 500$!. They're such good quality that it's traditional for the student to keep them from grade 1 until grade 6 (all elementary school) and after that, it's passed to a younger sibling if they have the same sex (red bags are traditionally for girls, blue and black for boys).
That's why they're still in such good condition😊
😢 Wow such a sad video. I can't believe they had to leave all their belongings behind. I mean their shoes in the cubbies and bags on the desk. Such a shame. Great video Dave!
I could've easily been a student in that school. I was 9 when the tsunami struck in East Japan in 2011. If I am Japanese, and was living in that area then, it's no doubt my belongings would've remained in one of these classrooms till today. How insane could that have been? Not to mention the amount of lives lost... kids, teens, adults and elderlies. How devastating of a news to just anybody to find out that you're missing a family member or loved ones...
If I was in that position, I never would've wanted to return to the town, much less the school itself. It's such a sensitive period to many Japanese at the time. Whether it is out of culture or respect, it would take years of building courage to overcome the fear of returning to your old town to reminisce the tragedy in person. (That, or maybe they've moved on with their lives and have found it hard to return due to their schedules, regardless, we can't rule out the fact that trauma from these events could also be one underlying reason as to why a person would never want to return to that area again).
"...my belongings would've remained in one of these classrooms till today."
It'll remain there long after you passed away, man. It'll take somewhere around 200 to 300 years to be deemed safe. And due to mass respect from Japanese, not even after all those years it'll remain intact and preserved, no overgrown trees and bushes unlike abandoned buildings in other countries that's overgrown after just 10-20 years.
I was born on January 6, 1971. That school is 51 years old. In such excellent condition not just for its age but being abandoned for 12 or 13 years now.
There is no cafeteria because the children’s lunch was put on carts and brought to each classroom to be served to the children, by the children who’s turn it was to be the lunch monitors. The children were in encouraged to be self sufficient
it is in such incredibly good shape! No real damage. Love there is no vandalism. Such a sad, sad situation. Can't imagine having to just walk away from everything you owed.
The room you said was the art room is actually the staff room, that room is where all the teachers would work during breaks and or when they didn’t have classes, the desk at the front of the room is usually for the principal and or head teacher. That’s why all the keys to the school were in that room
Another fantastic explore Dave, amazing how time flies with Poppy now old enough to attend school.❤
I love the fact that josh and steve still explore together. The first time I saw Josh's channel he was always with steve and seth. ❤
I remember the headline photo from national newspaper at my country from that time. It was a story about group of people who sacrifice themselves to keep the reactor cool (because of tsunami, the reactor's cooler is broken, iirc), knowing the radiation will kill them, but they chose to do that to allow many other people survive.
It was even more horrible because they couldn't prevent radiation from spilling in the ocean and even one particle in a fish is lethal to the person consuming it.
They were unable to get containment.
That was an awesome explore Dave. Gosh one of my dreams is to adventure in Japan. It's terrible that they experienced such a devastating earthquake followed by a such an enormous tsunami. The Fukushima nuclear disaster was just another horror added to the mix. It is amazing that you are able to explore there. Thank you for all that you do Dave. Wish Marky could have been with you but life is life and he must do what he needs. But always thinking about him. Looking forward to your next explore adventure. Much love, peace out.
Don't hesitate to visit this beautiful country! Tourists are looked after...Every mode of transport is taken care of language wise...You will never get lost..
@@kohedunnI'm too broke to visit Japan! But it's always been my dream to go! Maybe one day!
How sad is this video , all the children’s bags etc just left , all those poor people who lost their lives , Thankyou Dave for showing us this as it makes you more appreciative for what we have in our lives ❤
Amazing video Dave.
With radioactivity still on wow … thank you and stay safe!
Hi Dave. You commented that the can of pop was out of date in 03. Could they print their dates the other way round and it actually read 03 08 11?
You are correct the year is 2011 on the can.
The Japanese respect and take pride in their belongings and others belongings as well. Look how clean everything is even though its abandoned. Its wonderful to see a beautiful example of such pride.
It'll be abandoned for 500 years and it'll still be as tidy as if they just left. Of course it's off limits to people, but even _animals_ and wildlife don't vandalize this place. In Japan, even animals respect cleanliness, something we can never see in any other country.
A stark contrast to Pripyat, Ukraine, just a few km's away from the doomed Chernobyl Plant. The buildings are vandalized, not by people, but by wildlife!!! Dogs, tigers, etc. pee or defaecate inside those buildings, or breaks windows by their claws.
For anyone wondering the board at 9:48 said
(Fri.) layer
Samai
Shugyo Ceremony Practice at 2:00 a.m. in the Physical Education Center
Matanuha Jr. High graduation ceremony 8:45 Soujunior High/Honkan Principal
Town lunch chief's meeting 15:00 Town Hall Yamada
Waxing after school
1Submission of report card aids
High School Meals
From 3/5 (Tue.), the main building will be used as the venue for the academic ceremony.
Contact
Vacation
Vacation
Tanaka(8:00~14:864
Usami (1)
Kimura 10:85~
Honestly kinda sad it looks like they had a ceremony. :(
I lived in Fukushima. A lot of the schedule you videoed at the 10 min. mark on the board is for graduation ceremony practice on 3.11. Schools in Japan graduate in March and begin the new school year in April. My heart breaks watching this video.
This was so sad Dave. All the bags left on the desks. So sad. Thanks for the news reports at the beginning and end. All these little houses just left, so sad.Thanks lots for doing this xx ♥️
It's so sad to see all their bags on the tables. Imagine how it would feel to be in school and have to evacuate, especially the tiny ones 😢 They must have been so scared x
8:20 The Pocari Sweat can actually dates back to March 2011, not 2003. In Japanese, the year is written first, then the month, then the day.
As someone who has studied Japanese for 11 years (and still going), I would love to sit down and talk to a student from this school.
When you said one place was a nursery, it wasn’t. It was a classroom for year 5 students. The board in the staff room was also talking about stuff like graduation and vacation etc.
Fascinating video. I live about 100km south of Fukushima and work in a public school. I've driven through the exclusion zone but didn't stop to explore. It's very sobering to pause and think about what these people experienced.
Also, Japanese schools don't have cafeterias, they eat in their classrooms.
It is nice to watch an abandoned location that has been untouched and clean. You can almost feel the history. Cool video, bro.
Former students of this school would probably feel nostalgic seeing all their things still where they left it. Also would remind them of the last time they had a little fun in that place just a few minutes before the disaster struck.
Yep and it's scary that the school is abandoned and there's no one in it
Fantastic video Dave and so sad too.the first room you went in with the kids bags you could hear a child voice.❤️
I remember hearing about the tragedy when I was 7, just coming back from school. those kids were probably the same age as me too, I'm 19 now. all the school bags laying on the desk is heartbreaking🥲
Shows how quickly thet had to leave, that satchel you opened are really expensive to buy and are meant for the child to use throughout their time at school from starting to leaving. So so sad what they went through.
Great video Dave very interesting to see how it is now, thanks for sharing 👍❤I'm loving this series so far, look forward to seeing your next upload 👍❤stay safe xx
Great upload❤ it's so sad seeing all the children's belongings left behind 😢 but if they stopped to collect their belongings things would have been so devastating for their familys and loved ones. Also just want to say lively seeing Josh on this live that man ❤ from London uk 🇬🇧 xoxo
Dave! So proud of you, look at what your doing 🥰 I’ve been so busy atm and haven’t been able to catch up on all your latest videos but I will as soon as possible but just seeing what your doing and where your going is amazing, keep up your good work 💞 hope your all okay x
Amazing school my heart goes out to all the victims and people killed in the earthquake in Japan the school is amazing and the classroom rooms love the layout totally awesome video Dave dan josh from Australia ❤👍🍻🇦🇺
WoW what a find..can't imagine what these children & people had to go through..so very sad😢.. TFS..sending love to you Mark & families ❤️
The kid's bags made me very sad. They must have been so scared. Newly subscribed - this was fascinating to see.
So very sad to the destruction and just void of humanity. Please be careful! The radiation there is so unsafe! 😢 Incredible video!
Thank you for such informative and interesting video. Love your Japan videos. Love your channel ❤❤❤❤
You just got a new subscriber! Thanks for sharing - I've noticed everything still looks good. RIP to those who lost their lives - sincere condolences to their families and this school community, several years later!
This is what the world should be full of respect hats off to Japanese ppl for teaching your kids this
I have an old Japanese customer everyday he bows and greets me his like 80 I'm an Aussie so cause he respects me I bow back lower to show him more respect he got a little smile on his face and nodded said nothing but I knew he like and appreciated it
Oh! My gosh! Everything seem untouched! Honestly this really shows that the Japanese really RESPECT people belongings. Yes we should never take or touch anything that are not ours! Thank u so much Dave for sharing and uploading this useful video about what happened in Fukushima
How weird is this from years ago their bags still there where they was left , great vid x
yea i agree only issue i have is most of those bags and flat tv's we saw litteraly look brand new as in this year or 2 new
These are always my favorite tours you guys do. There’s something about this place.
But how is it so clean and tidy after all these years? No dust, no webs, nothing
Is that even possible?
Because, it's Japan!!
Not even mother nature tries to disturb abandoned buildings. Even if it's abandoned for another 100-200 years, you won't see shrubs or mosses growing in it.
For a place that experienced such a big earthquake most
everything is in great condition, nothing knocked over, furniture is in place, items remain on shelves. Strange?
Exactly! No one else points out … probably it was a disaster connected with radiation and not earthquake!! Reminds me of Pripyat of Chernobyl nuclear disaster , the abandoned conditions…,
The schools and most of the infrastructure is built to withstand earthquakes, even to that degree. Most of the injuries and deaths were due to the tsunami after the fact rather than the earthquake itself. :(
A lot of stuff here is built and bolted down with that in mind. In schools I imagine there’s an even bigger emphasis on making sure things will not fall on kiddos when it gets bad.
now that was actually heart breaking thankyou for sharing Dave
I wish I could do what you do, I am so into abandoned places and spooky things that stay with them, I get to enjoy exploring through you, keep up the fascinating videos love them!!!
Very interesting Dave but still sad. Stay safe wear gloves too x
This broke my heart! My granddaughter would freak out having to leave her things behind 😢
And they would never leave those black and red backpacks unless it was an emergency, they cost $100 each and are supposed to last them all through elementary school.
Judging from the kanji on the wall it looks like the school you were in was a combined Elementary and Junior High school. (小中学校) which is not uncommon in smaller towns where the shrinking population forces schools to merge.
The month of the school being March also means there would have been a number of graduation ceremonies (卒業式) taking place (Japanese school year starts in April). You can see this written on the chalkboard along with a sports day for the middle school (中体育会.
You were also in the teacher’s lounge not a crafts room. It’s where all the teachers do paperwork and have meetings.
Great you included original news footage about the disaster!
It must of been a nightmare for all the family’s , children must of been terrified bless them
Good job my friend 😊❤️..
So sad..all the stuff at this place were left behind..love from Malaysia..take care your self n your friend too
Dave, while I applaud your honesty/decency in these videos, I get the feeling B&E is mighty tempting sometimes. Even if it's just for a few moments. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this. Sending love and channel support from Kentucky ❤
It's like you said, they're adults now. I wonder if anyone from there comes across this video and it's like being able to come back through you.
Hi Dave & Crew, In Japan!!😊
This was a Amazing find, so Sad for All the Children & People in the School after the Earthquake & had to leave!!
So Sad for the Tsunami to take out so many People, Children & their homes & businesses!!
As for your comment on your Year with being in School with Desks with Inkwells, 1988...I too remember that but I go
Further Back...I started school 1956 & had Inkwells, then flip desks, then just a desk, no draw or flip desk!
Strange out of the rooms You showed only 1 room got Hit & 1 room the ceiling is Bad causing the floor to be bad!
Plus outside strange No trees or Bushes show damage from earthquake or cracks on ground!
Thanks Dave to show us this Abandoned School & Hope some of the Adult Children See this Video!!😉
Take care & Be safe Guys, Love You Loads, from Central Illinois USA🥰😎❤
Ohhhmaaan, I missed the Merch opportunity... I'm a t-shirt nut, super bummed!!!
Thanks for the video!😁✌
That was so sad to see all those children's school books and personal items left behind. I can't imagine being a child and going those that traumatic experience. I'm so glad to see that you are smart enough to wear a face mask and it looks like a good one too I just hope none of you don't get sick from breathing and touching things in the red zone. Take care and be safe.
Does anyone Know The Real Truth As To What Really Happened To The Kids. And where they are Now😮😢
I looked it up, and I think they didn’t make it. 74 out of 102 ish kids died. The tsunami hit them on low ground as they evacuated
Awsome you just got a new subscriber.
9:55
March, Sunday: (this part was blurry do to camera movement. But i think it actually might have been 月曜日 instead of 日曜日.)
1: Graduation Practice Two Edashiki hall 1
2: also, the intensive graduation ceremony 8:45 sanchu
3: sasho kabu town lunch chief meeting 15:00 Kabujo Yamada
4: After school
5: submission of notification table Shinsuke Book
Nambu Shokugen Garden.
Translated it the best i could.
It makes me wonder did any of the students in that school die in the flood after the earthquakes. Sad.
Dave, that was not a can of Pepsi or Coke. In English it's called Pocari Sweat. It's like an electrolyte drink. ❤
This was so sad. I hope they all survived and no one passed due to the stress xxx
So sad to see the wee bags and coats. Great video. Thank you. Bless. 👍🙏🏻❤️
It's like time stood still on 3/11/11, and the dust didn't even settle yet there on everything! At the time, it looks like they fled in such a hurry, as not to carry anything, probably the thought being, it was already being contaminated, and lugging their thing's may just slow them down! Great documentary vid Dave! & I bet your mate's would have liked to have been on this journey with you!
Ooh ok, yea Stove is there, yeb, & @ 29:28, where the small transistor radio is, and is actually an antique, I see an old telly, and it's got the bug tube in it! Wow!; and that to, that's retro!
Sorry, it should say Steve's there! Spell checked me, and still don't know how to spell!
Superb explore. Very moving. Your camera work is perfect too. Great work 👏
It looks like this might have been a combined elementary/junior high school, and the junior high graduation ceremony was that morning, if I’m reading the board correctly. It makes me wonder if the bags were arranged on their desks to go home after a practice assembly for the elementary graduation ceremony. In that case they would’ve all been gathered and in gym shoes, so they might not have been able to go back for their stuff.
That’s so sad :(
Oh that makes it even worse, the little kids looking forward to their fancy graduation ceremony and then they're suddenly leaving their school and their homes forever..
So amazing and yet so sad to see. Found it hard to watch though as so much movement gave me motion sickness!! But awesome content as always.
This reminds me of my school because in my school we practice emergency drills so when the alarm goes off we need to leave all of our stuff behind so this is probably what happened here.
I'm a teacher, and we practice emergency drills as well. During those practices, we have to lock our doors, so that explains why most of the doors are locked. It's really sad because I wonder how many teachers still have their room keys. 😢
Another awesome video. Thank you!❤
Hey mate amazing video, wow your little princess starts school in September that has flown bye
Heartbreaking dave fantastic video keep safe 😊
This is sad, I can’t imagine how terrified the kids are. My son is studying in a Japanese school now and their classroom literally almost looks like here in the video.😢
I hope all the students from that school are still alive, how sad to see their belongings still at the desk they ones sat at..
I'm surprised there's no visible cobwebs... it looks like it was abandoned a week ago rather than years...
Great video!! This school is amazing!! So sad to see everything left behind. And as a teacher, I HATE seeing all those Smart Boards just sitting there!! I have wanted one for my classroom for years. LOL
Bewildered by all the comments about things being left untouched and no vandalism. It's an exclusion zone. It was too dangerous to enter for *years* due to radiation. Even now you all are having to monitor radiation levels, and I bet if it got too high you'd have had to immediately leave. There is no amount of money that would make me willing to go there just to take stuff and vandalize things, even ignoring how disrespectful that would be. It's very good of you all to document this though. A heartwrenching subject, but one that both needs and deserves to be shown to the world. I can't imagine what it was like for all those people who had their lives upended like that, much less children.
Very sad video but the school is amazing. Take care and thanks for sharing 👍🙏❤️
It will never be a school again! Just for educational, scientific and tourist. Our world is getting full of void places where people will never come back😢 You can tell how much nature is taking it back already…
Wow 😮 this explore is incredible interesting and sad at the same time 😢you can imagine them being told to calmly take themselves out the building leaving all their stuff behind never to return 😢as always Dave you keep on giving amazing content thank you stay safe 😊🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 🇯🇵
So sad all their belongings left behind because it was necessary to evacuate the building quickly.And now it's all left like a time capsule.Must have an odd feeling of desertion about it .Thankyou.