In 1959, 5,000 people lived on Japanese 'battleship island'. Then it was abandoned almost overnight. The UNESCO site that inspired James Bond's Skyfall’s villain lair

Off the coast of Nagasaki sits an island that looks less like a holiday destination and more like the setting of a post-apocalyptic film. Hashima Island, popularly known as Gunkanjima or Battleship Island, was once a densely populated coal-mining community with thousands of residents, schools, hospitals and temples. Then, in 1974, its mines closed and the island was deserted. Today, its crumbling concrete ruins draw curious travellers and have even inspired Hollywood filmmakers.

Hashima Island was once home to thousands

According to WOM Travel, Hashima Island became a major undersea coal-mining centre and was home to more than 5,000 residents at its peak. The island also reached what the publication describes as the highest population density ever recorded on Earth. Its transformation was remarkable. What had once been a small island associated with coal mining and fishing gradually became packed with reinforced-concrete buildings, housing and infrastructure.

Architectural Digest reported that the island eventually developed into a dense concrete landscape, with buildings forming what resembles a haunting urban labyrinth. Apartment blocks and other facilities were exposed to decades of typhoons, powerful winds, rogue waves and fires.

Why is Hashima called Battleship Island?

The island's official name is Hashima, but its distinctive silhouette gave it another name. According to Japan Travel, its shape resembles a battleship, leading to the nickname Gunkanjima, which translates to Battleship Island. For decades, the island was closely tied to Japan's industrialisation and its coal-mining industry. But its fortunes changed as the country's energy landscape shifted.

The island was abandoned in 1974

WOM Travel reported that Hashima's coal reserves eventually dwindled as the global energy market moved towards oil. The mines finally closed in 1974, and the island was abandoned almost overnight. The sudden departure of its residents left behind an extraordinary snapshot of a once-thriving community.

Massive apartment buildings, schools, hospitals and temples remained standing as nature and the elements slowly took over. With no permanent population, the structures were left exposed to the sea and harsh weather. The result is the eerie landscape visitors associate with Hashima today.

Hashima became a UNESCO World Heritage site

The abandoned island's historical importance eventually brought renewed attention. According to Japan Travel, Hashima was included in July 2015 among 23 locations registered under the UNESCO World Heritage grouping Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining.

The designation recognises the island's role in Japan's industrial development and places its abandoned structures within a much larger story of the country's Meiji-era industrialisation.

Its abandoned ruins caught Hollywood's attention

Hashima's haunting appearance has also taken the island beyond history and tourism. According to Discover Nagasaki, Gunkanjima received worldwide attention after serving as the model for the Dead City in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall. The island's distinctive ruins helped create the film's fictional setting for the villain's lair. The location also served as a model for the live-action film Attack on Titan in 2015.

WOM Travel similarly notes the island's connection to Skyfall, where its post-apocalyptic appearance helped inspire the villain's hideout.

Can tourists visit Hashima Island?

Hashima is no longer completely off-limits. Parts of the island have been stabilised and can be explored through guided tours. Japan Travel advises visitors that they cannot explore Gunkanjima independently because many of its abandoned buildings remain structurally unstable. Travellers must visit as part of a registered tour for safety reasons.

Visitors can board tour boats from Nagasaki Port, although reaching the island is not guaranteed. According to Japan Travel, tours can be cancelled because of bad weather, making winter, the rainy season and typhoon season less suitable for a visit.

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