Just the word “Japan” can make you think of manga, maid cafes, and bright neon lights. But Maan Limburg, a Dutch photographer, sees Japan as a bunch of empty houses in the countryside.

Her pictures of these places, including houses that were destroyed by natural disasters and closed theaters where the lights were still on, are now in a book called “The Lost World,” which came out in May. One in every 1,500 people in Japan is over the age of 100, making it one of the countries with the oldest citizens. As more young people move to cities to find jobs, it’s getting harder to keep up with the countryside. And that’s not the only big thing that changed the way Japan looks. Events like earthquakes, typhoons, and the nuclear disaster at Fukushima have also caused a lot of damage or forced people to leave their homes. This is where akiya, or ghost houses, come in. In 2014, the government released a report that said if things keep going the way they are, about 900 villages and towns in Japan will disappear. There are so many empty homes that some places are even giving them away for free. 

The country has always been a great place to live in. And its events being recorded in a book is a thing to remember.