Gunkanjima (Hashima): The Unique History and Must-See Highlights for Getting the Most Out of Your Visit

Around 1810, coal was discovered beneath the sea floor near Gunkanjima (Hashima), and mining began.
In 1890, Mitsubishi Mining (now Mitsubishi Materials Corporation) purchased the island, developed it as a coal mine, and started full-scale extraction.
As Japan pushed toward modernization, coal was a vital energy source the country could not do without.
Mining required a large workforce, and commuting by boat was difficult, so apartment buildings were built so workers could live on the island.
As the population grew and more buildings went up, land reclamation expanded the island until it eventually became three times its original size.
Even so, it was never a large island, so high-rise apartments became necessary, and Japan’s first reinforced-concrete apartment building was constructed here.

By 1960, Gunkanjima (Hashima) had reached its peak: Approx. 5,300 people lived here, giving it the highest population density in the world.
Beyond apartments, the island had shops, a hospital, a barbershop, restaurants, a movie theater, a pool, and a school—facilities that made daily life and entertainment possible without leaving the island.
Coal miners earned high incomes, and at a time when color TVs had only a 10% adoption rate, ownership on the island was 100%.
With features like elevators that used cutting-edge technology for the era, residents enjoyed a lifestyle that was not only comparable to mainland Japan, but notably progressive and prosperous.

Gunkanjima (Hashima) once thrived, then began to fade as Japan’s main energy source shifted from coal to oil.
The mine on Gunkanjima (Hashima) closed on January 15, 1974, and all residents left the island on April 20 of the same year.
After it became uninhabited, public entry to Gunkanjima (Hashima) was prohibited for safety reasons.
In 2001, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation transferred it to Takashima Town, Nagasaki City, and it is now owned by Nagasaki City.
After Nagasaki City built visitor walkways, tours became possible in 2009.
However, because the abandoned buildings may collapse, the areas you can enter are limited.
In 2015, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site as part of “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining.”

Landing on Gunkanjima (Hashima) is only possible at the “Dolphin Pier.”
This is a mooring facility built by driving piles offshore in an area without a breakwater.
When Gunkanjima (Hashima) was first developed, visitors would approach the island, transfer to a small boat, and then go ashore.
Rough seas often made that difficult, which led to the construction of the Dolphin Pier.
The current Dolphin Pier is the third version, improved over time.
Its gangway moves up and down with waves and the tides, making it a first-of-its-kind structure in Japan.
The pier itself is part of the experience, so take a moment to notice it when you arrive.

After you land on Gunkanjima (Hashima), you’ll start at the “First Observation Area.”
On the eastern end of the island, it looks out over Building No. 65 (the island’s largest structure), the seven-story Hashima Elementary and Junior High School (once Japan’s tallest), and the ruins of company housing for coal mine workers.
Hashima Elementary and Junior High School was equipped with an elevator, which was cutting-edge at the time.

The “Second Observation Area” is where the presence of the people who worked in the coal mine can feel especially close.
Of all the observation areas, this is the one that brings you nearest to the ruins.

Highlights include the “Former No. 3 Vertical Shaft Winding Engine Site,” with its striking red brick walls, and the remains of a pier built to access the “Second Vertical Shaft,” which reached 636 m underground.
You can also see up close the “Seawall” built along the coastline, one of the components inscribed as a World Heritage site.
In fact, not all of Gunkanjima (Hashima) is registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site—two elements on the island, the “Seawall” and the “Undersea Coal Mine,” are the inscribed components.
Since you cannot enter the “Undersea Coal Mine” today, be sure to take a good look at the “Seawall,” the only part you can see directly.

Last comes the “Third Observation Area.”
The main highlight is Apartment Building No. 30, Japan’s oldest reinforced-concrete apartment building.
Built in 1916, it has stood for over 100 years.
Next to Apartment Building No. 30 is Apartment Building No. 31, which once housed facilities such as a post office, a barbershop, and a public bath.
Apartment Building No. 30 is particularly deteriorated, and the risk of collapse is high.
Depending on the tour, there is often free time for photos at the “Third Observation Area.”

One of Nagasaki’s best-known sights, Oranda-zaka (Dutch Slope) refers to the cobblestone streets that remain in the hillside area where foreign settlements once stood.
During the settlement era, local residents called foreigners “Oranda-san” (the Dutch), and any slope used by foreigners came to be known as Oranda-zaka—hence the name.
The best-known Dutch Slopes include the slope below Kwassui Gakuin, Kwassui-zaka, and the slope in front of Joko-in Temple.
The slope below Kwassui Gakuin was opened when the settlement was developed, and as you walk up, you’ll see the stone monument marking Oranda-zaka.

For Approx. 200 years during Japan’s period of national isolation, Dejima was the only place where trade with the West was permitted.
Built in 1636 by reclaiming land from the sea, this fan-shaped island served as a conduit not only for trade goods but also for food culture, Western learning, and even games such as billiards and badminton, which spread from here to other parts of Japan.
Although Dejima was later reclaimed after the end of the shogunate and seemingly disappeared without a trace, restoration work in recent years has recreated its former appearance. You can visit reconstructed buildings such as the Captain’s Quarters and the Hettle Room, along with warehouses that once stored imports and exports and a kitchen—plus exhibits showing room interiors and traded goods.

In 1873, after the long-standing ban on Christianity was lifted, believers in Urakami planned the construction of a church, but at first they struggled to raise funds.
In 1895, construction began based on designs by Father Frenot, and 30 years later, in 1925, a grand cathedral—considered the largest Romanesque-style stone-and-brick church in East Asia—was completed.
Its twin front towers were equipped with a magnificent 26 m Angelus bell, becoming a source of pride for the faithful and a symbol of their faith.