しらや・Shiraya
The hamlet of Shiraya was declared unsafe to live in during the construction of the Otaki Dam and residents had to relocate, so now there is nobody living here. However, rather than just letting this beautiful space go to waste, a small open-roofed area with a public restroom was constructed so that people could still come here to enjoy the view. Projects like this can be done at a very low cost and are a great model for other areas around the world to allow for community members to gather and make use of beautiful nature and public space. Who needs a TV when you have a great view like this?
Small roads still wind through the grass of where houses used to be. Occasionally you’ll find the remnants of tiled bathroom floors and the outlines of house foundations.
Shiraya is a great place for night photography and if you set your camera on a long exposure you can easily photograph the the outer arms of the Milkway Galaxy.
The suspension bridges leading up to the hamlet are also a subject frequently photographed by visiting photographers.