[Episode 1] Take Village (Part 1) — One Strange Phenomenon After Another!? An Encounter with a Spirit! A Full Investigation of the Cursed Ghost Village

Part 1 of Episode 1, “The Fourth Person.” This installment begins the investigation of Take Village, an abandoned settlement in the Urayama district of Chichibu, Saitama.

The village sat on a steep hillside east of the lake created by Urayama Dam. With little flat land, the houses followed the slope. In 1955 it had 10 households and 44 residents; after that, young people kept leaving until nobody remained. A fire believed to be arson broke out around 2013, and the buildings have deteriorated further since.

In this part the crew moves into the village among decaying buildings and remnants of daily life. As the title suggests, a series of strange events is reported, but this is entertainment with staged elements and we do not guarantee its accuracy. Please watch it as a record of what the place looks like.

What to Watch For

Part 1 is the first step into the village. Pay attention to the condition of the buildings and to how the whole settlement is laid out. Set on a steep slope on the east side of the dam lake, the site’s rugged terrain is easy to feel on camera. Some areas are said to still show the effects of the fire around 2013, which also gives a clue to how the ruins look today.

Our Take

In our view, half of what makes Take Village frightening comes from its terrain. Flat land was scarce, so the houses followed the slope. Paths are narrow and sightlines poor; after a few steps the house you just passed disappears from view. That kind of limited visibility sharpens attention to presence and sound, and makes small noises easier to read as “something there.” It is only speculation, but many reports of strange phenomena may be inseparable from the unease this terrain amplifies.