In the blue waters off the coast of Nagasaki lies an eerie concrete island that looks like something out of a dystopian movie. Hashima Island—also known as Gunkanjima, or “Battleship Island”—was once one of Earth’s most densely populated places. Today, it’s an abandoned ghost town.
A City on a Rock
Hashima’s story began in the late 1800s, when Mitsubishi bought the tiny island to mine undersea coal. Over the decades, buildings sprang up—schools, shops, even a movie theater—all on a rock just 480 meters long. At its peak in the 1950s, more than 5,000 people lived there. That’s over 80,000 people per square kilometer—denser than Tokyo or Manhattan.
Life on Hashima was intense, surrounded by towering concrete walls to block typhoons. The community was isolated. Children played on rooftops. Families lived in small apartments, just steps from industrial chimneys. But work was steady, and society was tightly knit.
The Sudden Silence
By the 1970s, oil replaced coal, and the mine became obsolete. In 1974, the island was evacuated almost overnight. Residents left behind toys, furniture, and even dishes on the table. The island was sealed off and left to decay.
What remains today is a crumbling shell of a once-bustling city. Rusted stairwells hang off buildings. Trees grow through concrete. The silence is overwhelming.
From Forbidden to Famous
For decades, Hashima was off-limits. But in recent years, guided tours have opened small parts of the island to visitors. Its haunting beauty has captured the imagination of filmmakers and gamers alike. You might recognize it from the James Bond film Skyfall or the video game Call of Duty.
Hashima is now a symbol of progress, abandonment, and the fragile line between life and ruin.
A Place Frozen in Time
Stepping onto Hashima is like stepping into the past. It’s a chilling reminder of how fast cities rise and fall. And how nature, given time, reclaims everything.