LONELY TOWNS

@ SHIKOKU ISLAND, JAPAN

TRAVEL • OCT 2024 • SHIKOKU, JAPAN

We may have gotten more than we bargained for when we said we wanted to avoid the touristy spots during our Autumn 2024 road trip. We bore witness to the quiet crisis of Japan’s rapid depopulation as we made our way through Shikoku Island, one town at a time. Abandoned shopping streets, shuttered restaurants, and silent playgrounds are now just part of everyday life for the people who remain.