Hashima Island

KarlH's picture

Location

Hashima Island
Japan
32° 37' 39.8316" N, 129° 44' 17.628" E
JP
General info: 

Hashima Island is an abandoned island city in Japan, near the coast of the city Nagasaki (Also known as Battleship Island). The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. At that time the islands population reached its peak of 5,259 with a highest population density in the world, 83 500 people/km2.

The island's most notable features are the abandoned and undisturbed concrete apartment buildings and the surrounding sea wall.

As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima's mines were no exception. The closing was officially announced in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it is called Ghost Island. Travel to Hashima was re-opened on April 22, 2009 after 35 years of closure.

Hashima Island was the insipration for the home of the main villain in James Bond film Skyfall.

Getting there: 

There are some tours organised from Nagasaki to Hashima Island, for example: http://www.gunkanjima-concierge.com/en/

Costs: 

Price examples for the tours:

Adults: 3600yen, Children: 1700yen.

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