Hashima Island, Abandoned coal mining site in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
Hashima Island is an abandoned coal mining site off the coast of Nagasaki that rises from the sea behind a protective seawall. The island contains multiple concrete apartment buildings, mining facilities, and industrial structures from its operational period.
Mitsubishi began developing the island in 1890 for coal extraction and pioneered some of Japan's earliest large-scale concrete construction. The site became a major center of the nation's industrial growth before operations ceased in the 1970s.
The island stands as a symbol of Japan's rapid industrial growth and remembers the workers who labored here under harsh conditions. Today it serves as a place where visitors can directly experience the human side of this era.
Visitors reach the island by organized boat tours departing from Nagasaki Port, with trips adjusted based on weather and sea conditions. It is advisable to check current access conditions before visiting, as not all areas of the island are open to the public.
The extreme density of concrete buildings on this tiny island once resulted in population densities never achieved anywhere else in the world. This concentration makes it a remarkable example of how people adapted to extreme conditions.
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