Hashima Japan Battleship Island Gunkanjima Travel Postcard

Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island), is one of Japan’s most intriguing abandoned places. Located off the coast of Nagasaki, this tiny island was once a thriving coal mining community, operated by Mitsubishi from the late 19th century until its closure in 1974. At its peak, Hashima housed over 5,000 workers in a densely packed concrete city, making it one of the most crowded places on Earth. The island was home to Japan’s first large reinforced concrete buildings, built to withstand typhoons and harsh sea conditions. However, when coal mining declined and petroleum became the dominant energy source, Hashima was abandoned, leaving behind an eerie ghost town of crumbling structures and silent streets. Today, Hashima Island stands as a haunting relic of Japan’s industrial past. In 2015, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution. While access was restricted for many years, parts of the island were opened to tourists in 2009, offering guided boat tours that showcase its eerie, decayed buildings. The island’s unique, apocalyptic appearance has made it famous in pop culture, even serving as inspiration for the villain’s hideout in the James Bond movie Skyfall (2012). Despite its desolate state, Hashima remains a powerful symbol of Japan’s rapid modernisation and the dramatic changes in its economic landscape.