[Episode 1] Take Village (Finale) — Imamura Sees a Spirit. The Story Concludes at Last

The final part of Episode 1, “The Fourth Person,” wrapping up the investigation of Take Village.

The title’s “fourth person” is the motif that runs through the episode. In 1955, 10 households and 44 people lived in the village. What remained after they left was a set of crumbling houses, six Jizō statues by the road, and the saying that misfortune followed after the statues were moved.

This installment looks back on what was recorded during the investigation and follows the shoot through to the end. It is entertainment with staged elements and we do not guarantee its accuracy, but we keep it as a record of how an abandoned village decays. For more background, please see our related haunted-spot article.

What to Watch For

The finale recaps the investigation and follows the shoot through to its end. It can be followed on its own, but watching Parts 1 to 3 in order makes the shift in the village’s atmosphere easier to see.

Our Take

Take Village is not a maintained sightseeing spot, and its decay is said to have accelerated after the fire around 2013. This is our speculation, but video records of such villages are likely to show a scene that can never be filmed again within a few years. Apart from its appeal as a ghost video, the value of documenting where a vanishing settlement stands today is the reason this site continues to introduce this record.