The Japanese mansion, an abandoned place shrouded in mystery

We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.

This is a visit to an urbex location commonly known as the Japanese Manor. I have very little information about it, which is incredibly frustrating. Let’s be clear: this is the start of a major investigation. How long do these usually take? I’ll admit, two years on average... The worst was the case of Mademoiselle Boine and the extraordinary fate of her house, which took seventeen years. One has to start somewhere, so here is the current state of my knowledge on the subject.

The Mystery of Lucienne V.
The manor belonged to Lucienne V. I cannot reveal her last name because she is somewhat famous, and doing so would immediately give away the location of the village—a major hurdle. According to her school notebooks, she was born under the name Arnauld. Her older brother was Louis V., a notary established in the village. The town hall confirms the name "Arnaud" in their records and on the grave. This raises a question: was she an unrecognized child? It’s a surprising hypothesis for that era, but a plausible one. Lucienne never married.

She was born on February 11, 1902, and passed away on January 4, 1964. This information was provided by the town hall, whom we thank warmly as it was available nowhere else. Again, no mention of the specific town hall’s location here, but our collective work is finally bearing fruit.

Has the manor truly been abandoned since 1964? I searched, researched, and re-searched this manor to find an answer. Besides photographing the indescribable mess, I spent six hours going through this lady's papers. I found no trace of any occupancy other than hers. So... yes. Since 1964. That makes 59 years of abandonment. In this isolated corner of the countryside, that isn't surprising. It was only the recent "urbex wave" that led to the total massacre the place has suffered, with hostilities seemingly starting around 2019. This is evident because in the earliest urbex photos, the place is in much better condition. I should have visited before the "urbex pack," but what can I say... I was only at the tail end of the herd; I had other matters on my mind. What a shame. The place is now a shadow of its former self—a ruin, a slaughter. It’s a disgrace.

Chinese, Not Japanese
On that note, I’m sorry to disappoint, but this is not the Japanese Manor, but the Chinese Manor. The decor is unmistakably Chinese. Much of it has been stolen, despite the fact that you can find identical, or at least comparable, items brand new for 12 euros on AliExpress. It’s a pitiful level of desperation.

Since then—specifically at the end of the summer of 2023—the site has been completely sealed: reinforced steel doors and every shutter locked with padlocks.

The Eccentric Writer
Lucienne was a writer—a local one, to be precise. Her subjects included esotericism, witchcraft, folk tales, and legends. She also wrote about local history, mythology, geology, and archaeology. She was a painter as well, though her influence seems to have been limited to the local or regional level. Newspaper articles suggest she painted extensively. Her writing came late in life: mostly in 1961, then in 1963. She famously wore eccentric hats and held the cross of the Chevalier du Mérite National.

The manor contains absolutely no manuscripts or books written by her. A connoisseur or someone close to her has removed them. But why? The "manuscripts" seen on the desk in other photos are merely setups by urbexers, much like the dolls placed on the beds. Ridiculous. The complete absence of her actual work is baffling; I spent a significant amount of time checking, and I cannot understand it. The estate is completely vacant, and as a regionalist, her manuscripts have no market value. Let’s hope a local enthusiast took care of them. It’s important work.

Darkness and Discovery
Because the shutters have all been padlocked to keep urbexers out, my photos are unfortunately mediocre. It is very dark inside.

This is a difficult search, starting from almost nothing to rebuild the history of this place. May it evolve positively! A first breakthrough occurred in December 2023: our friend Pierre Ville sent us a photo of Lucienne's grave. It’s logical that I didn't find it at the time; the names are there, but they have been erased by time. Lucienne is buried with her father.