Beautiful photographs of the ghost town on Japan’s Hashima island. From 1887 through 1974, Hashima operated as a coal plant.
Ghost towns and abandoned locations may be explored on their own. Ralph, a Russian urbex explorer, has made it his duty over time to document the decrepit Japanese dream. On the Japanese island of Hashima, we produced breathtaking images and historical information about a defunct mining village.
We aim to tell the tale of these deserted structures and shed light on the lives that were ruined by past horrors. The Japanese mining town in the 20th century, whose remnants are now dispersed around the island’s shore, was one such tragedy.
History of Hashima
An abandoned island, devoid of people yet rich in history, is located around nine miles from Nagasaki. Hashima Island, which was previously the epicentre of submerged coal mining, served as a stark illustration of Japan’s quick industrialisation. Hashima served as a coal plant from 1887 to 1974 and was also referred to as Gunkanjima (literally Battleship Island) due to its resemblance to a Japanese battleship.
Around 1810, coal was found on Hashima, a rocky outcrop about 4.5 km west of the Nagasaki Peninsula. Small-scale mining did exist, but significant mining activities did not start in earnest until 1890. Japan was already heavily industrialised at this point, and coal was required to run the adjacent government-run Yawata Steelworks. The mine was quickly dug 600 to 1,000 metres below the surface of the surrounding water, where it operated.
Images of Hashima, Japan’s ‘Mining’ Ghost Town
To handle the expanding number of island employees, mine owners Mitsubishi Goshi Kaisha constructed the first significant reinforced concrete structure in Japan in 1916. The concrete structure was built to withstand the powerful typhoons that often pass through Hashima.
More structures for the resident employees were built throughout the course of the following 55 years. Leisure facilities, educational institutions, nursery facilities, a hospital, a swimming pool and this rooftop shrine with its breathtaking view of the sea.
Images of Hashima, Japan’s ‘Mining’ Ghost Town
Gunkanjima was the most densely inhabited spot on the earth in 1959 with a population high of 5,259 people. Mitsubishi had to offer a lot more than simply homes to persuade workers to relocate to the island with their families. It also constructed a hospital, a nursery and kindergarten, a theater, a department shop, a swimming pool and a school (for grades 1 through 9). Fresh meat and fruit were delivered by boat every day.
In the 1960s, when petroleum replaced coal as the primary fuel, coal mines all around the nation started to close. Mitsubishi permanently shut down the Hashima mines in January 1974.
Why abandoned Hashima Island is called Gunkanjima?
This might be an excellent time to discuss the origin of the name “Gunkanjima” for Hashima Island. Gunkan is a battleship. This small rock is covered with high-rise structures, and from a distance, especially from the windward side, it somewhat resembles a battleship. Hence, Gunkanjima is also known as “battleship island.”
Remains from the numerous lives that have been lived here may be seen all across the island. There are moments when it seems as if they merely went and somehow expected to come back.
