hellyer 216 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Came across this article in an online magazine - fascinating Hashima Island: Inside a forgotten world Off the West coast of Japan is Hashima Island, a ghost town where the once bustling sound of the coal mining industry has long been replaced by a still, eerie silence. Closed to tourists for decades, the island has become a crumbling time capsule of a forgotten era. Here’s a glimpse through the lens of photographer Michael Gakuran. Populated for nearly a century from 1887 to 1974, Hashima Island was home to thousands of coal miners and their families. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890, and quickly expanded operations to meet the growing demand for coal. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960’s, mines began to close all over the country. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974. Though now partly open to tourism, it wasn’t always this way. The island was strictly off limits for decades following the mine closure; with only a brave few bold enough to enter. If you think the island looks familiar, it may be because it was featured in James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ in 2012. The movie wasn’t actually filmed on the island, as it was deemed too dangerous for a movie shoot, but exterior shots were taken there. The island is tiny, about 480 metres long and 150 metres wide. With a population of 5259 in 1959, Hashima was the most densely populated place on earth. The apartments were tiny. Whole families would be crammed into a space the size of a modern studio, with some even forced to sleep on futons inside a cupboard due to lack of space. Mother nature is winning the battle, with plants growing in the most unusual places … in old fridges inside apartments, in covered over toilet blocks, and among concrete buildings. The Stairway to Hell, one of the most iconic sights within Hashima, is over 100 steps high Since the abandoned island has not been maintained, several buildings have already collapsed. You can visit Hashima with official tour companies only. I did hear a rumour that in it's heyday it was often compared with Mt Granview - not for snowplay of course but in grandeur and gnarliness. Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Seen a show about it on tv last week. Its just another wonderful legacy of mining Link to post Share on other sites
Peetan 10 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Would love to go take a tour! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Its on Google Streetview if you want to look around. Corporate urb-ex! Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts