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Battleship Island: The Eerie Ruins and Coal-Dark History of Japan’s Hashima

If you’re intrigued by abandoned places with a dark history, then  Hashima Island off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan should be on your radar. Also known by its eerie nickname “Battleship Island” due to its resemblance from afar to a warship, this tiny island has become a renowned example of modern ruins and industrial heritage gone awry.

Abandoned coal mining town on Hashima Island, Japan. Photo: www.gilpivert.fr

Hashima was continuously inhabited from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility run by Mitsubishi. At its peak in 1959, the island had an astonishing population of 5,259 people crammed into just 16 acres – making it one of the most densely populated places that ever existed. Concrete high-rise apartments, a school, hospital, bars and even a pachinko parlor were built to accommodate the miners and their families working in the undersea coal mines.

Aerial view of Hashima Island, also known as “Battleship Island” due to its shape. Photo: kntrty

But the island has an even darker side. During World War II, forced Korean and Chinese laborers toiled under brutal conditions in the mines, with hundreds dying from malnutrition, overwork and accidents. After the coal reserves depleted in the 1970s,  Hashima was completely abandoned, leaving behind a haunting time capsule of the 20th century.

Building 30, built in 1916. It is believed to be the oldest seven-storey reinforced concrete residential building in Japan. Photo: www.gilpivert.fr

Today, the crumbling ruins of  Hashima provide a rare window into this period, frozen in decay. The abandoned apartments, rusting industrial structures and surrounding sea walls have slowly been reclaimed by nature for over 40 years. The island opened to tourists in 2009 and was controversially approved as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015 after negotiations between Japan and South Korea over acknowledging its forced labor history.

A student visiting abandoned residential buildings on Gunkanjima. Photo: Du Truong

Hashima has captured international imagination, appearing in films like the James Bond movie Skyfall, but also prompting criticism by the South Korean government over revisionist exhibits that initially denied its abusive labor practices. While exploring the island is tightly controlled due to safety concerns,  Hashima remains a poignant memorial to both Japan’s rapid industrialization and a more somber legacy of wartime atrocities that should not be forgotten.

To visit  Battleship Island, you can take this 3-hour boat trip from Nagasaki (affiliate link) – a great choice (and one of the very few choices) for travelers who want to explore the abandoned island.

Here are some more fascinating photos that capture the haunting ‘beauty’ of  Hashima Island.

The island is also called “Battleship Island” due to its resemblance to a warship
Photo: Kenta Mabuchi

Hashima was continuously inhabited from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility run by Mitsubishi

Photo: ajari

During World War II, forced Korean and Chinese laborers toiled under brutal conditions in the mines

Photo: Toomore Chiang

After the coal reserves depleted in the 1970s, Hashima was completely abandoned

Photo: www.gilpivert.fr

Exploring the island is tightly controlled due to safety concerns

Photo: Nemo’s great uncle

In its ‘heyday,’ 5,200 people lived on the tiny island

Photo: Koji 12

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