Nestled in the mountains on the border of Hiroshima and Okayama prefectures is Takahashi, a city of about 31,000 people which lies 30 minutes by train from the popular international tourist destination of Kurashiki.
Home to Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, built in 1240 on top of a 430-meter high mountain, and numerous examples of Meiji Era architecture, Takahashi is also known for its Bitchu pottery and for its numerous hiking trails favored by nature lovers.
But about a 10-minute drive west of Bitchu Takahashi Station lies a small and neglected man-made pond that has come to symbolize a growing problem nationwide, and one to which the central government is now seeking solutions — abandoned property whose ownership is unclear.