F-0057 We are looking for the owner of a steel tower on forest land

On Tuesday, October 15, one phone call came in to the Management Section of the Construction Department at Kajihara City Hall. Kashiwagi took it.

The caller was a man who lived in the city. He said he had been walking the north ridge on Sunday, and there was a steel tower, and a chair was tied to it. If it fell, it would hit someone walking below. He wanted the city to do something.

Kashiwagi thought a steel tower would belong to the power company, and asked whether it had a number plate. It did not. There were no power lines on it either, the man said. Nothing like an antenna. Just the tower, standing there.

Kashiwagi got out a map and asked for the location three times. It was not city land. It was not one of the roads or rivers the Management Section looked after. Even after he hung up, he could not tell whether this was his section’s job. The section chief said, go and have a look for now.

On Thursday he went with Miyoshi, who was two years his junior. At the end of the forest road there was a clearing with room for about three cars, and from there it was on foot. It seemed to be a path once used by the people who inspected the tower, and here and there black plastic steps were still in the ground. It took forty minutes. Partway up, Kashiwagi regretted coming in rubber boots.

The tower stood where the ridge flattened out a little. It looked to be at least thirty meters tall. Gray steel, and near the top only the brackets that had once held something were left. A ladder ran up along one leg all the way to the top, with platforms on the way. Each was a wire-mesh floor with a handrail, going all the way around the tower, wide enough for two people to pass. Counting from the bottom, there were seven. The lowest platform was five or six meters off the ground, about the height of a second-story roof.

On the floor of that platform sat one folding chair. Its legs were wound to the handrail with wire. The chair faced away from the town, toward the next ridge.

Miyoshi took out binoculars and looked up from below, through the mesh floor. There was a white sticker on the underside of the seat, and it read “Community Center — Equipment — 14.” Which community center, they could not tell, because the top half of the sticker had peeled off.

At the foot of the ladder there was one notebook. It was in a plastic bag with a zip closure, tied to the ladder with string. A ballpoint pen was in the bag too. The cover was blank.

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(Copy of the entries in the notebook. Written down on site by the Management Section on October 17)

(Inside the front cover)
Rain or shine

9/14 (Sat) 1 Tanabe 1 person

9/21 (Sat) 1 Tanabe 1 person

9/28 (Sat) 1 Tanabe 1 person
1 Koyama 1 person

10/5 (Sat) 1 Tanabe 1 person
1 Koyama 1 person

10/12 (Sat) 1 Tanabe 1 person
1 Koyama 1 person
1 Mori 2 people

10/19 (Sat) 1 Tanabe 1 person
1 Koyama 1 person
1 Mori 2 people
1 Oishi 1 person

(The handwriting differs from name to name. October 19 is two days after the day this was written down)

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In the car on the way back, Miyoshi spoke.

“What is that notebook, do you think.”

A list of names, probably, Kashiwagi said.

“It’s every Saturday. Maybe a duty roster. For cutting the grass or something.”

Who would cut the grass in a place like that, Kashiwagi said.

“Would you write ‘one person, two people’ on a duty roster?” Miyoshi thought for a while with his hands on the wheel. “It’s like a restaurant, isn’t it. Writing down how many.”

A restaurant, Kashiwagi said.

“There were five people down for this Saturday.”

There was only one chair, Kashiwagi said.

Miyoshi was quiet for a while, and then said, what is it that goes ahead rain or shine, I wonder. Kashiwagi did not answer. Saturday was his day off.

The next week, Kashiwagi phoned the community centers one after another. There are eleven community centers in the city. When he asked whether folding chair number fourteen had gone missing, every one of them made him wait a little and then said, it’s here. The person at the sixth one said, it’s right in front of me now, shall I sit on it.

About the tower, he asked in writing.

(Copy of a reply to the inquiry. The name of the company that replied has been withheld)

October 24, Reiwa 6

Regarding the location in your inquiry, we have checked our equipment register and past records, and could not find any corresponding equipment. We believe it was not installed by our company.

This one came first, and the section chief read it and said, it’s not ours to tear down. No money to tear it down either. Put out a notice saying we’re looking for the owner.

The rest took until December, and there were eight in all. They all read much the same. The power company, three telecom companies, the broadcaster, the prefecture’s disaster-prevention office, two local offices of the national government. One of the national offices was the one that handles radio licenses, and it wrote that there was no record of any radio station licensed at that location, old records included. When he checked the land register, the land was still in the name of a man registered in Showa 3, and the place name in the address was not on today’s maps.

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(Copy of a notice posted on the Kajihara City website. The place name has been withheld)

We are looking for the owner of a structure (steel tower) on forest land

Posted: October 28, Reiwa 6 — Management Section, Construction Department

There is a steel tower of unknown ownership on forest land in ■■, in the city. To consider safety measures, we are looking for the owner or anyone who knows how it came to be installed. If you have any information, please contact us below.

Structure: steel frame, about 30 meters tall
Attached items: 1 folding chair, 1 notebook (in both cases, installed by persons unknown)
Deadline for coming forward: January 31, Reiwa 7

It is dangerous, so please do not climb the tower.

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Noguchi works at a company in Kajihara and spends his lunch break in his car. He parks at the far end of the lot, puts the convenience-store bag on the passenger seat, and looks at the new items on the city website. When there is a strange notice, he takes a screenshot and posts it on social media. Last month there was one that said “The men’s restroom on the third floor of City Hall will be available for use for the time being.” Most of the people who saw his posts were from the city, and the ones who replied were the same two or three.

(Copy of social media posts. The poster’s display name is “noguchi.” Only some of the replies)

Oct 29, 12:21
the city website says “we are looking for the owner of a steel tower” and I’m laughing a tower can be lost property

Oct 29, 12:24
Attached items: 1 folding chair (installed by persons unknown)
they’re looking for the chair’s owner too a chair
　↳ take@kajihara gotta turn it in at the police box
　↳ mio the north ridge, that’s the mountain behind my house was there ever a tower
　↳ noguchi the city says there is
　↳ mio asked my grandpa and he said “there is” says he doesn’t know since when
　↳ take@kajihara go look

November 3 was a Sunday, and a holiday. Noguchi left home before noon. The pavement on the forest road ended partway, and there was not one car in the clearing at the end. Ten minutes into the climb he was out of breath. Twice on the way he thought about turning back.

When the tower came into view, Noguchi stopped and opened the city notice on his phone once more. Then he looked up, and for a while he counted.

Nov 3, 13:02
made it 40 min from the trailhead nobody told me

Nov 3, 13:04
wait it said 1 chair, right

Nov 3, 13:05
there’s 9 just on the lowest platform all along the handrail more on the level above and the one above that

Nov 3, 13:06
stopped counting they all face the same way not toward town
　↳ take@kajihara so they multiplied
　↳ mio what scary

Nov 3, 13:07
no way I’m climbing my legs lock up just standing under the ladder

Nov 3, 13:09
found the notebook in a plastic bag this is a reservation list inside the cover it says “Rain or shine”
　↳ take@kajihara rain or shine

Nov 3, 13:11
next Saturday’s part 2 and 3 say “FULL” 1 has names for 8 people is 1 the first level there are 9 chairs so
　↳ mio like, fully booked?
　↳ take@kajihara go book one
　↳ noguchi what
　↳ take@kajihara there’s 1 seat left, isn’t there

Nov 3, 13:14
done next Saturday 1 Noguchi 1 person the last seat
(A photo of the notebook page is attached)
　↳ take@kajihara lol your real name
　↳ mio are you going?
　↳ noguchi no that’s another 40 min climb

Nov 9, 23:48
fell asleep
　↳ take@kajihara knew it
　↳ mio what a waste of a seat

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(Copy of a record of a report received and the response to it, kept at the local station. The caller’s name and address have been withheld)

Received: November 9 (Sat), around 21:40
Caller: resident of ■■ district, male, 70s
Content: “There are lights on the steel tower up on the mountain, about as bright as flashlights. One on each level, lined up vertically, and I counted six from the bottom. They’ve been there for about thirty minutes and they don’t move. Nobody is supposed to be using that.”
Response: Two officers from the Community Section dispatched. Arrived at the end of the forest road at 22:25. No parked vehicles. No lights confirmed in the direction of the tower. Spoke with the caller at his home. He stated, “They went out just now, from the top down. Before they went out, there was a sound from the mountain like hands clapping. A lot of people.” Did not enter the mountain because it was night. As the city is said to be investigating the ownership of the tower, the city’s Management Section will be contacted on the next day the office is open.

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Word came on Monday. On Wednesday, Kashiwagi climbed up once more. This time he borrowed hiking boots.

There were more chairs. Nine on the first platform, lined up along the handrail. The second through fifth had them lined up the same way, and there was one on the sixth. Only the one on the sixth faced the town, and all the rest faced the next ridge. Four stickers could be read from below. Two were community centers, one was an elementary school, and the other one said “City — 3rd Floor Meeting Room.”

At the foot of the ladder, a slatted wooden board had been laid down. On it, four pairs of brown slippers were set out neatly.

There were now two notebooks.

(Copy of the entries in the notebook. Written down on site by the Management Section on November 13. The part for November 9)

11/9 (Sat)
1 Tanabe Koyama Mori (2 people) Oishi Sugimoto Furukawa Seki Noguchi
2 FULL
3 FULL
4 FULL
5 FULL
6 Uchida 1 person

After he got back to City Hall, Kashiwagi counted the chairs in the third-floor meeting room. There were twenty-four. The equipment register also said twenty-four.

The end of the forest road was city land, so he asked the forestry section to put up a sign there. “Please do not climb the steel tower ahead — Management Section, Construction Department, Kajihara City.” Nothing could be put up on the tower itself. It was not the city’s. He changed the “Attached items” line of the notice to “folding chairs (many), 2 notebooks, 4 pairs of slippers.”

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(Video: “The steel tower with no owner is apparently fully booked on Saturday nights,” filmed November 23, 2024, posted on the 25th — transcript)

It’s night. Ten past eight. I’m at the very end of the forest road. Mine’s the only car.

This is the tower the city is looking for the owner of. A post from someone who went to see it came around to me. And it’s Saturday, so.

(The sign appears)

Please do not climb. …Yes. Sorry.

(Mountain path. Footsteps and breathing)

(Caption: 50 minutes later)

(The light moves up the tower from the bottom)

There it is.

…That’s a lot.

So, there are chairs lined up on every platform. All around the inside of the handrail. The lower levels have no gaps left. And, can you see that? Outside the handrail. They’re tied on the outside, the chairs. If you sat there, there’d be nothing under your feet.

There’s more up top. Above the highest platform. One, where the ladder ends. There’s no floor there.

People, there aren’t any. Nobody.

(The foot of the ladder appears)

Slippers. …There are slippers. On the wooden board. I’ll count. …Thirteen pairs.

Are you supposed to change into these? To walk on wire mesh?

(The notebook appears)

There are four notebooks. The newest one. …Today’s part.

2 through 6, “FULL.” 7, one person.

For 1 there’s a row of names, and at the end it says “Noguchi.” This is that guy, right? The one who booked and didn’t go. He’s in last week’s part too, and the one before.

(Compares it with a smartphone screen. The photo of the notebook page that the person who booked had posted)

The oldest one is his own handwriting, and the other two, the handwriting’s different. His is rounder.

There’s a booking and nobody’s here. It’s five past nine.

…I’ll go up, just the first level. Just the first level. I’m going in my shoes.

(Sound of climbing the ladder. Metal sounds)

(Caption: Please do not try this)

I’m up. It sways quite a bit. There’s no wind, though.

Chairs, nine. All facing that way. Not the town, the mountain.

(The back of one chair appears. On cloth tape, in black marker, “Noguchi”)

There’s a seat. Mr. Noguchi. You have a seat.

The one next to it is probably somebody’s, but I’ll sit. Excuse me.

(Sits. Turns off the light. The screen goes dark)

Light’s off. …It’s a mountain. The mountain across. There’s nothing. No lights either.

The stars are out.

(Caption: 20 minutes later)

Nobody’s coming. It’s cold. Ten more minutes and I’m going down.

(In the distance, a sound of metal creaking)

…Was that a sound, up there, just now?

(Again. A little closer)

That’s a chair, right? Folding chairs make a noise when you sit down. That noise.

(Again)

From the top,

(Again. Close)

(Again)

(It sounds right beside him)

(The light comes on. Noguchi’s chair. The platform above. No one appears on screen)

…There’s, nobody.

(Applause from above. Many people)

Nobody. …The sound stopped. The chairs.

It’s quiet. Really, really quiet.

(The applause continues)

…I’m going down. That’s enough. I’m going down.

(Stands up. The light falls on the back of the chair he was sitting in. On cloth tape, in black marker, “Hayakawa”)

(Sound of going down the ladder. Fast. The applause continues)

(The footage ends here)

(Selected comments)

@k_morita_
turned the volume up there’s clapping right on the right too isn’t the right Noguchi’s seat

@oyasumi2525
It doesn’t stop even while he’s climbing down. Please make it stop.

@sabi_tetsu
you can’t climb the ladder there’s a sign

@tanuki_soba
did you take the tape home?
　↳ @hayakawa_yoru I didn’t peel it off. I didn’t take it home either. It’s still there

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(Copy of a record of a report received and the response to it, kept at the local station. The caller’s name and address have been withheld)

Received: November 23 (Sat), around 21:40
Caller: resident of ■■ district, male, 70s (same as November 9)
Content: “They’re on again. They came on just now, from the top down. Today there are seven from the bottom. Only the lowest level has two, side by side. There’s a sound of clapping too. Just now a stronger light came on next to those two and went down. The two are still there.”
Response: Two officers from the Community Section dispatched. Arrived at the end of the forest road at 22:20. One parked vehicle. Around 22:35, spoke with one man who came down the mountain path. He stated he had climbed alone to film a video. “I sat on the lowest platform of the tower for about thirty minutes. I had my light off during that time. I didn’t meet anyone.” As for the sound of clapping the caller described, he stated he did not hear it. The man appeared unsettled, and repeated that his own name had been taped to the chair. No lights confirmed in the direction of the tower. The man was told to refrain from entering. The city’s Management Section will be contacted.

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Word came on Monday, again by phone. Kashiwagi wrote down what he was told as a memo and handed it to Miyoshi. Miyoshi put a sticky note at “two” and gave it back. The sticky note was still white.

(Copy of social media posts. The poster’s display name is “noguchi.” Only some of the replies)

Nov 26, 12:18
the tower video came around to me there’s a chair with my name on it

Nov 26, 12:20
I only wrote it once though
　↳ take@kajihara he said you’re in there every week
　↳ mio go erase it

Nov 26, 12:26
going to erase it not on a Saturday though, Sunday

Dec 1, 9:40
forest road was closed at the entrance closed for winter until spring
　↳ mio so nobody can go anymore
　↳ noguchi I think so
　↳ hiro1961 it was open on Saturday though

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Kashiwagi had circled January 31, the deadline in the notice, on his desk calendar. Even after that day passed, not one person came forward as the owner. Once February began, phone calls came in to the Management Section.

(Copy of the Management Section’s phone intake memo. Only the entries concerning the steel tower)

Feb 4, around 10:00, female
Asked whether seats at the steel tower can be reserved here, and whether there are seats for children. Replied that this section does not take reservations. She said, “Then I’ll use the notebook on site.” Told her the forest road is closed, but there was no reply.

Feb 6, around 15:00, male
Asked whether the eleventh level is still available. When told that there are seven platforms, he said, “Last week it went up to nine.”

Feb 7, around 9:00, female
Said it was her first time, and asked to be told when she should clap. Replied that this section does not know. She said, “Then I’ll follow what everyone else does.”

The forest road opened in the middle of March.