Gunkanjima Island

Located in the middle of Nagasaki Bay, Hashima Island is known by the nickname Gunkanjima Island (literally, Battleship Island). Coal was discovered on the island in 1810, and after that, it was operated for full-scale coal mining by the Mitsubishi Corporation from 1890. The island flourished as it supported Japan’s modernization from the Meiji period to the Showa period, but with the closing of the mine in 1974, the island’s residents left and it became a deserted island. Now it is possible to land on the island with a guided tour and conduct sightseeing. In 2015, Meiji Japan’s industrial revolution heritage sites including Gunkanjima Island were registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.