Gunkanjima - Coal and Concrete
The boat rocks as it rides the waves while rain is splashing against the windows. In a typically Japanese display of customer service, a member of the tour staff is outside, cleaning the windows of the rainwater, only for them to be quickly covered in raindrops once again. Behind this exhilarating little spectacle, an island emerges from the fog. One could say that today's weather is fitting for this place, making the hulk of concrete and rock look even more gloomy. The island truly lives up to its nickname: it looks like a battleship.
Hashima (literally "border island") is a small, rocky island located 4.5 km off the west coast of Kyushu and 18 km from the port and city center of Nagasaki. As early as 1810, coal was discovered on the island, and while several companies attempted to establish mining operations without much success in the second half of the 19th century, the real rise of coal mining on Hashima began after Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890. Over the next decades, it became a central supplier of Japan's growing energy demands and the most densely populated place on earth.
Originally measuring just 320 by 120 meters, the island was expanded by landfills several times over the course of its industrial exploitation to its current size of 480 by 160 meters, resulting in an area of around 6.3 hectares. It is surrounded entirely by seawalls to protect the residents and mining facilities from the rough seas and regularly occurring typhoons. The island's nickname, Gunkanjima or "battleship Island" can be traced back to 1916, when a newspaper stated that Hashima's silhouette "looked like a battleship".
The boat circles around the island to provide views from all sides, while the tour guide talks about its history and points out some points of interest on the island. He soon switches the topic to instruct and prepare us for whats to come: in a few minutes, we will land and set foot on Gunkanjima. Much to the relief of everyone on board, the staff is handing out raincoats. While we are unpacking the coats from their bags and put them on, the rustling of plastic creates an excited atmosphere.
After the first wooden buildings were repeatedly destroyed by typhoons, a brand new modern building material was brought in to better withstand the forces of nature: reinforced concrete. It also allowed for the construction of high-rise buildings to house the rising amount of workers on the tiny island. In fact, Japan's very first reinforced concrete buildings were built here, with the first one completed in 1916. Referred to as building #30, it was originally a four-story residential block, but was expanded to seven stories shortly after completion. Over the course of the next decades, many buildings followed, including a school, shops, hospital, temple and a movie theater.
Hashima's population reached its peak in 1960 with 5,267 residents in which was at that time the highest population density in the world. The undersea mines reached a depth of around 600 meters and spread out in various directions under the seafloor. Yet after 1960, as Japan started to shift from coal to oil as its main energy source, the coal production on the island slowly declined, as did the number of residents. The end for the Hashima mines came in 1974. After their closure in January of that year, the last residents left the island by the end of April. Gunkanjima went dark and became a ghost island. In fact, as the island's illumination disappeared with the residents, a lighthouse had to be built to inform ships about its presence and ensure safe shipping routes.
After the island was abandoned and left to the elements, its structures quickly started to deteriorate due to the harsh weather conditions, exposure to salt water, lack of maintenance as well as the fact that the use of reinforced concrete was still in its infancy at the time of construction. Over the coming decades, some buildings partially collapsed. Today, the structures help researchers understand the impact of environmental effects on building materials.
The tour group is an amusing sight: around 80 people, all in similar transparent raincoats, waddling along the sightseeing path in the pouring rain. At each of the three observation spots, the group stops and the guides provide information about the surrounding area. The guides also make sure that the group stays together, nobody is supposed to wander off on their own. Around the pathway, the island's floor is covered in debris: massive rocks, concrete chunks and remains of brick walls. The third observation spot provides a good view of building #30, the aforementioned first reinforced concrete building on the island from 1916. Its windows a long gone and a part of its outer wall has collapsed over almost the entire height, affording a peek inside the building. It is an eerie but fascinating sight that is intensified by the gloomy weather and constant downpour.
After the island became part of the city of Nagasaki in 2005, the city looked into possible uses for tourism. The island had gained fame as a lost place and interest in its historical significance was on the rise. Since it was impossible to have visitors roaming freely on the island due to the danger of building collapse, an observation path was installed on the island. From 2009 on, specially licensed sightseeing companies were able to offer guided tours to the island.
Around the same time, a movement formed to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status for a number of sites around the country that played an important role in Japan's industrial revolution in the Meiji era in the early 20th century. Hashima was included on that list, but the bid met opposition by South Korea, North Korea and China due to the fact that before and during World War II, Korean and Chinese forced laborers were sent to Hashima to work in the mines, a historical detail that Japan denied. To advance the application, Japan agreed to cover this part of history in the Gunkanjima museum exhibition. In 2015, the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining", which include the Hashima coal mine, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since then though, Japan has only very reluctantly implemented information about forced labor. This has remained a diplomatic issue between Japan and South Korea.
We return to the boat and hop on board, discarding the wet raincoats at the entrance. Another 45 minutes later, we arrive back in Nagasaki. 80 people leave the ship in need of a change into dry shoes and clothes, but probably nobody would complain, as we are all moved from this impressive and thought-provoking trip into Japan's industrial past.
Interested in another article on Japanese architecture by me? Check out my 2009 article about Nakagin Capsule Tower (which was unfortunately demolished in 2022).
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