After a typhoon, villagers discovered a hole located where a shrine once stood. Various measures were taken in an attempt to discover the depth of the hole, but they were unsuccessful. A businessman had the idea to use the hole as a method of disposal for unwanted items or materials. The people of the village were promised that there would be no harmful contamination for "several thousand years."

Many people took advantage of the opportunity and used the hole for purposes of disposal. For example, once they became engaged to marry, young girls tossed their diaries into the massive hole. Policemen used the hole to dispose of counterfeit money, and criminals tossed evidence of crimes into the hole. Government officials disposed of "classified documents," and workers from the university discarded the bodies of animals used in experimental tests.