Just 15 kilometres off the Japanese city of Nagasaki is a strange and unusual island called Hashima. Well, Hashima is its proper name, but locals also call it Gunkanjima, which means Battleship Island, because it looks like a warship. It has a third name as well: Ghost Island. No-one lives there, but it used to be one of the most densely populated places in the world.
People first became interested in Hashima towards the end of the 19th century. Beneath the island and its surrounding sea were large amounts of coal. Even though the island is only 480 metres long, it was agreed that it was possible to build coal mines on it. The island was bought by Mitsubishi in 1890.Within one year, coal was being shipped to the mainland.
Conditions in the coal mines were terrible. Temperatures reached at least 30 degrees Celsius. As the demand for coal grew, more and more people moved to live and work on Hashima. Land was reclaimed around the island to provide more space. Concrete was used to build strong buildings, as the island was regularly hit by typhoons. In 1916, the first apartment block was built for the miners and their families. Schools, a hospital, a clubhouse and a cinema soon followed.
At the beginning of the 1930s with the demand for coal ever greater, the Japanese forced many Koreans and Chinese prisoners of war to work there. They remained until the end of World War II. In 1959, the population reached its peak at 5,259.
By the 1960s, coal was being replaced by oil and mines all over Japan began to close. In January 1974, the four Hashima mines were closed and everyone began to leave. Soon, the island was empty. They were so quick to leave, many left their belongings. It became a ghost town. No-one visited again for nearly 30 years.
In 2000, people became interested in visiting the island to see what it looked like. Fifteen years later, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even though tourists now visit, the island remains like a ghost town. It may be fascinating to look at the early life of industrialised Japan, but it has a dark and sad history which makes it feel a sad and lonely place.
Visit Hashima Island:
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