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THE PROPERTIES, KNOWN AS THE TIGER MANSIONS, WERE LEFT ABANDONED BY GENSHIRO KAWAMOTO WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR... NOW AN URBAN EXPLORER HAS TAKEN A LITTLE LOOK News ADAM CAILLER Senior
reporter and Reddit team lead and SWNSCHARLIEFENTON (CHARLIE FENTON) 09:10, 21 Apr 2025 A British urban explorer has uncovered the secret world of a Japanese billionaire's abandoned
mansion, stumbling upon a treasure trove of luxury that could rival any Bond villain's lair. Lukka Venuters, 28, couldn't believe his eyes when he infiltrated the so-called Tiger
Mansions, left to gather dust but still brimming with millions in plush furnishings and even two classic Rolls Royces. The opulent pads were stuffed with untouched marble statues,
gold-rimmed furniture including solid gold chandeliers, a taxidermy tiger, and boasted a jaw-dropping top-floor view of the Pacific Ocean. Manchester lad Lukka, hailing from Bury, was
gobsmacked: "Only someone really rich or a drug dealer could have lived in a property like this - the wealth on display was unimaginable. "Each room had thousands of pounds of
artefacts lying around just abandoned like they were worthless." Article continues below He mused about the mansion's cinematic potential: "In its day I could see this mansion
in a James Bond film with the villain lying in a bath on the top floor smoking a cigar overlooking the spectacular sea view - it definitely gave off that 007 villain mafia vibe." The
once-mighty owner of these grand estates, built from the 1960s through the '80s, was real estate magnate Genshiro Kawamoto, who passed away in February last year. Kawamoto's
downfall came in 2018 when he was slapped with a four-year jail term and a hefty 240,000 yen (£1.2 million) fine for financial misdeeds committed between 2009 and 2011, leading to the
abandonment of his lavish properties. These included hiding a whopping 3.543 billion yen (£19million) in earnings and dodging 1.06 billion yen (£5.6million) in taxes. Lukka Venuters, 28,
first got wind of the trio of abandoned multi-million pound villas, dubbed the 'Tiger Mansions', from a mate who visited in February 2019. Intrigued, he decided to check them out
himself during a trip to Japan in 2024. The lavish estate earned its moniker thanks to a deserted £50,000 taxidermy tiger discovered within the largest four-storey mansion. Lukka spent a day
in February 2024 poking around the property with a couple of pals in Atami, near Tokyo, documenting his adventure on his YouTube channel @lukkaVentures. The intrepid explorer, who's
been nosing around derelict properties since his teens, gained entry through a broken window. He found all three mansions in a state of disarray, which he noted was "unusual for
Japan", having explored other abandoned homes that were left in pristine condition. He mused: "The Japanese culture is very respectful - maybe they were damaged in an act of
revenge, who knows." According to Lukka, each of the properties was decked out in marble from top to bottom. After scouring the grand four-storey 'Tiger Mansion', he trekked
200 metres down an overgrown path to the next largest property, a sizeable three-storey building overlooking the sea. Lukka confessed he'd never seen anything quite like the view from
the top floor. "I was checking out the furniture and taking in my surroundings but when I looked up I was completely drawn to it. The view was just incredible it stretched as far as the
eyes could see," he said. While on his way to scope out the third and tiniest property, Lukka stumbled upon a garage and couldn't resist having a nosy inside. He revealed:
"We opened it up and there we too cars under wrappers - when we lifted them up they were both Rolls Royce cars. It's hard to believe that someone would just leave them there to rot
almost." Lukka described the whole adventure as "unforgettable". He reflected: "The places I visit never cease to amaze me." Article continues below _FOR THE LATEST
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