Gunkan- jima: "Battleship Island"


The so-called "Gunkan-jima" (meaning "battleship island" in English), is a popular name given to Hashima Island located about 15 kilometres off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. It once had a coal mining facility, and at its peak was the most densely populated place in the world; but now the place is completely deserted.
The island has numerous abandoned concrete buildings surrounded by a high wall which makes it look like a formidable marine fortress. Added to that the whole shape of it resembles the Japanese battleship "Tosa" so much that it has come to be known as the "Battleship Island ". The rumour has it that during the second world war a US marine once hit it with a torpedo mistaking it for a battleship.

It is one of the most well-known ruins of Japan and its unique landscape and atmosphere continue to fascinate and capture the imagination of people today.
Visits to the island is officially prohibited but some people still manage to sneak in there anyway!

Apparently Nagasaki City has started to do restoration work on some parts of the island from this year in order to make a public viewing possible.


See the AMAZING photos of island by following the links below!:

Photographs of Gunkanjima by Saiga Yuji (from Saiga Yuji website)

Gunkanjima Version 3.0 (A really cool Japanese site; cilck photo gallery to view images)
Gunkanjima Photo Gallery
Gunkanjima Odyssey(Click "gallery" for photos, screen savers, movie and wallpaper)
Pictures of Gunkanjima May 2007
Colours: Gunkanjima (from Colours)
Gunkanjima 2004/ 2005 (from KIOKUYA)
Old Photos of Gunkanjima:
Gunkanjima in 1974 (from Saiga Yuji website)
Hashima -Memories (from Hashima) photo album of people who actually lived there.
Find out more about Gunkanjima:
Hashima Island -Wikipedia

Gunkanjima-Forgotten Island (by Juergen Specht) with more photos!

Thoughts on Gunkanjima - View on an Abandoned Island (from Saiga Yuji website)

Free Wallpaper:Gunkanjima Wallpaper

Movie from Youtube:
1. View from Sea

2. Inside Image

The writing on the wall at the end of the video reads:
Years have passed since then!

Hashima has surrendered itself to rampant decay

Ruined - utterly ruined

This island will never come to life again

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Saya!
Love the video clip from inside Gunkan-jima! I love seeing inside deserted/disused buildings...real spooky.
Near the end of the clip,the camera focuses on some inscriptions on the wall-what are the English translations?
Great site-keep up the good work!
Hi dan

I added the translation of the writing at the end of the article. I hope that helps!

Thanks for your comment! I always like it when people comment on my blog.
Anonymous said…
Doh! I totally didn't see that! Duuuuh!! Thanks!
No, my friend, I added them AFTER you asked me too! So you are alright, dear.
Anonymous said…
Oh cool,so i'm not going blind then:-)
It will be interesting to see what restoration work they do on the island.I'd rather it stays the way it is...it has so much character! Would love to sneak on there and have a look around.
It's a dangerous place, what with all the buildings rotten and walls falling out and ceilings caving in... but yeah, I want to go there too! I will have to get someone to go with me though. Too dangerous to go on my own!