Set Sail for the Abandoned City of Gunkanjima

Explore industrial history on this island off the coast of Nagasaki

Hashima Island rises from the azure waters off Nagasaki City at the far western tip of Japan's main islands. It is often known as Gunkanjima, “Battleship Island,” because its rugged form resembles a Japanese battleship. The island was also featured in in the 2012 movie Skyfall.

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015, Gunkanjima proudly embodies Japan’s strength during the Meiji Industrial Revolution. Beginning in the nineteenth century, the island was used as a base for undersea coal mining. It bristles with dense clusters of concrete towers that once housed thousands of workers but have stood silent and motionless since the mines closed in 1974.

The island was off-limits to the public for decades, but today you can enjoy the eerie atmosphere of the abandoned island in person, with several companies offering daily boat tours. There’s also Gunkanjima Digital Museum on the mainland where you can safely explore the island’s no-go zones through VR.

Gunkanjima Digital Museum