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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Hashima was continuously inhabited from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility run by Mitsubishi
During World War II, forced Korean and Chinese laborers toiled under brutal conditions in the mines
After the coal reserves depleted in the 1970s, Hashima was completely abandoned
Exploring the island is tightly controlled due to safety concerns
In its ‘heyday,’ 5,200 people lived on the tiny island
