Hidden Wonders | Gunkanjima: An Island Frozen in Time

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The only sound that echoed was the crashing of waves against the pier. On this once-sealed island, it felt as if time had stood still.

Gunkanjima, officially known as Hashima, is a small island about 1,200 meters (3,937 ft) in circumference, lying off the Nagasaki Peninsula. Once a thriving undersea coal mining site, it is now part of Nagasaki City. The island earned its nickname — meaning "Battleship Island" — because its silhouette resembles the warship Tosa.

*Remnants of what were once apartment blocks.*

Tourism and Global Recognition

In April 2009, after 35 years of closure, Gunkanjima reopened to tourists. It has since appeared in several films, most notably the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall. The island gained further recognition in July 2015, when its coal mine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution."

Gunkanjima's history dates back to the early Meiji era. Before the mine shut down in 1974, approximately 15.7 million tons of coal had been extracted, with mining operations reaching depths of 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) below sea level. At its peak, the island was home to around 5,300 residents — making it the most densely populated place on Earth at the time.

*The buildings are now in a state of ruin.*

Prosperity Amid Hardship

Coal mining was grueling, but life on the island was relatively prosperous. Goro Kumasho, who spent his twenties there, recalled: "We always bought the best — televisions, washing machines, everything," he said. "Every week, we'd take the ferry to Nagasaki just for fun."

No matter how much overtime someone worked elsewhere, he added, they couldn't out-earn a coal miner.

Today, what were once schools, hospitals, high-rise apartments, pachinko parlors, and movie theaters lie in ruins. The island that once bustled with life now stands abandoned. Yet its role in Japan's modernization is undeniable.