Hashima Island is located about 40 minutes by boat from Nagasaki Port. This small undersea coal mine island is man-made, created by reclaiming land around a reef. It is called “Gunkanjima” (meaning “Battleship Island”) because of its resemblance to the warship “Tosa” in appearance, with its quays surrounding the entire island and lined with high-rise reinforced concrete buildings. At its peak in 1960, the island was home to approximately 5,300 people, making it the most densely populated island in Japan at the time. The island was equipped with elementary and junior high schools, hospitals, and other facilities, including movie theaters, pachinko halls, and other entertainment venues, making it possible to provide for all aspects of daily life on the island.
The coal from the Hashima Island coal mine was of very high quality, and together with the adjacent Takashima coal mine, contributed greatly to the modernization of Japan. However, the mines began to decline as the main energy source shifted from coal to oil, and they closed in 1974. The island was left uninhabited, causing feelings of sadness and worry among its former residents.
In 2009, people were allowed to land on the island and walk in the restricted area, and today many people take landing tours to see the abandoned constructions on Gunkanjima.
In July 2015, the island was officially registered as a World Heritage Site as “Industrial Revolution Heritage of Meiji Japan: Iron and Steel Making, Shipbuilding, and Coal Industry.”


