Gunkanjima) Hashima Island(, japan
Few places in the world have a
history as very very odd, or as poignant as Gunkanjima's.
Hashima Island, commonly called
Gunkanjima (meaning Battleship Island), is one among 505 uninhabited islands in
the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Nagasaki itself.
Hashima Island floats off the coast of Nagasaki in Japan, surrounded by a
concrete sea wall which gives it an armored warship appearance.
The island got famous because of
his unbelievable appearance: surrounded by a sea wall, you will find an entire
abandoned city with huge concrete buildings.
In the past Hashima Island was rich
in coal, then, Mitsubishi, the owner of the mine, thought it would be more
efficient if the employees lives closer to the mines. This is how the island
was built as a city, including hospitals, schools, shops, cinemas and even a
cemetery.
In 1959, the island was one of the
most densely populated areas on earth. On the tiny island (400 x 160 meter),
more than 5000 people lived and worked.
When petrol replaced coal as
Japan's main source of fuel, Mitsubishi closed the mine, everyone left, and
this island city was abandoned, left to revert back to nature. The apartments
began to crumble, and for the first time, in the barren courtyards, green
things started to grow. Broken glass and old newspapers blew over the streets.
The sea-breeze whistled through the windows. Now, fifty years later, the island
is exactly as it was just after Mitsubishi left. A ghost town in the middle of
the sea.
Everything can be found in that
abandoned city: schools, shops, an hospital, clubs, pools, a gymnasium… It
is hard to believe that it is truly real until we see it with our own eyes.
From 1974 to 2009, the island was
officially closed to all visitors, but recently the intriguing site has been
re-opened to organized tours.
Today, Gunkanjima is a tourist
attraction (sightseeing boat trips around the island are available) and a
backdrop for many films (it served as an inspiration for the villain's lair in
the 2012 film "Skyfall"), the ultimate portrait of Japan's industrial
ruins.
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