Ghost Island - The Battleship Island of Japan
Gukanjima Island is an abandoned ghost island in Japan. It was a coal mine settlement built in the 19th century. In the 1970s the coal deposits have been depleted and the settlement was abandoned. What remains in the island are eerie and dilapidated buildings. The government of Japan until now bans anyone from visiting this island.
Hashima Island commonly called Gunkanjima Island meaning Battleship Island is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself.
At its peak in 1959, Hashima Island was the most densely populated city on Earth, with 5,259 inhabitants on the small, rocky outcropping, the highest population density ever recorded worldwide. That's 835 people for every 2.5 acres.
As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima's mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it's called the Abandon Island. Travel to Hashima is currently prohibited.
