Hashima Island
端島 (長崎県)
Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima or "Battleship Island," is a small, abandoned island located about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki, Japan. The island was originally developed in the late 19th century as a coal mining facility by the Mitsubishi Corporation. At its peak in the mid-20th century, Hashima Island was one of the most densely populated places on Earth, housing thousands of workers and their families in a complex of high-rise concrete buildings. The island's rapid decline began in the 1970s when Japan shifted its energy resources from coal to petroleum, leading to the closure of the mines and the eventual abandonment of the island in 1974. Today, Hashima Island is a haunting, crumbling relic of Japan's industrial past and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
