Hashima Island ("Battleship Island")

Hashima Island (端島) is an abandoned offshore coal mine located approximately 15 kilometers from Nagasaki. It is far more commonly known by its nickname, Gunkanjima (軍艦島) or “Battleship Island,” because its towering concrete silhouette and high sea walls bear an uncanny resemblance to a massive naval vessel when viewed from the water. Once the most densely populated place on Earth, it now stands as a silent, decaying monument to Japan’s rapid industrialization and the harsh realities of its coal-driven past.

The island remained a deserted “ghost island” for decades after operations ceased in 1974. It wasn’t until April 2009 that Nagasaki City permitted tour boats to land, quickly turning it into one of the region’s premier tourist draws. Popular culture has further fueled its mystique; Google released a comprehensive Street View of the island covering off-limits areas, and it served as the aesthetic inspiration for the villain’s lair in the James Bond film Skyfall.

The Rise and Fall of Hashima

The catalyst for Hashima’s development was the 1853 arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry’s “black ships,” which spurred the Meiji Restoration. Realizing its industrial inferiority, Japan embarked on a frantic modernization campaign fueled by coal. Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha (the precursor to the Mitsubishi Group) purchased the island in 1890 for ¥100,000—roughly $450,000 in today’s currency—and began aggressive land reclamation that eventually tripled the island’s size.

As the mines expanded deeper underwater, Mitsubishi built Japan’s first reinforced concrete apartment block in 1916 to house the influx of workers. At its peak in 1960, over 5,000 people were squeezed into the tiny 6.3-hectare island, creating a population density of 83,600 people per square kilometer. The island functioned as a self-contained city, featuring a school, hospital, town hall, cinema, and even a pachinko parlor. However, when petroleum replaced coal as Japan’s primary energy source, the island’s utility evaporated. The mine closed on January 15, 1974, and by 1975, the “Battleship” was completely abandoned.

Gunkanjima silhouette — The island at its most “battleship” like

A Darker Legacy and World Heritage Status

While the island is celebrated as a feat of engineering, it has a grim history. During World War II, tens of thousands of Korean and Chinese civilians were brought to Hashima as forced laborers. Conditions were hellish: miners, including boys as young as 14, worked 12-hour shifts in temperatures reaching 40°C, crawling through 60-centimeter-wide tunnels 1,000 meters below sea level. Between 1939 and 1945, over 1,300 workers are believed to have died from malnutrition, exhaustion, and mining accidents. This legacy led to significant international opposition when Japan applied for UNESCO World Heritage status, which was eventually granted in 2015 with the proviso that the full history of the site be acknowledged.

Miners at Gunkanjima in 1965 — Miners riding the truck to take them down to the underwater mine (1965)

Touring the “Battleship”

Today, visitors can only access the island via authorized tour companies. Due to extreme structural instability, you are strictly prohibited from entering the buildings and must remain on a designated observation path. Tours typically last about three hours (including one hour on the island) and are conducted in Japanese, though English audio guides or pamphlets are often available.

Safety First: Landing is strictly weather-dependent. High waves or wind can prevent the boat from docking, in which case the tour will be restricted to a boat-only cruise around the perimeter.
Best Time to Visit: Winter (November to February) offers the highest landing success rates and the clearest skies for photography.

The following companies have permission to land on the island:

For a look inside the restricted areas that visitors are not permitted to see, watch the footage below:

Visitor Information
Address	Takashimamachi, Nagasaki, 851-1315 (Google Maps)
Opening Hours	Tours typically depart twice daily (9:00–10:00 AM & 1:00–3:00 PM)
Price	Approx. ¥4,000 – ¥4,500 (Includes landing fee)

Access
Departure Point	Transport Details	Duration
Nagasaki Port Terminal	Near the O波止 (Otabisyo) streetcar stop.	45-minute ferry ride to the island.
Tokiwa Terminal	Near the Ourakaigan-dori streetcar stop.	30–45 minute ferry ride to the island.