Originally populated as a coal mining facility back in the late nineteenth century, a company known as Mitsubishi had bought the island with the intentions of extracting coal from undersea mines, to fuel a rapidly growing/modernizing Japan. With the passage of time, Japan's first large concrete building (~9 stories high apparently) and several apartment complexes were built to house workers and the like. The highest population estimate in that time was about 5000 people.
When Japan began accepting petroleum as a better resource over coal, many coal mines around the country were shut down. Needless to say, the same thing happened with Hashima.
What makes Hashima such an interesting place however is the fact that it remained virtually untouched for about 35 years. This leaves behind undisturbed housing complexes similar to that of Japan's old times. With many collapsed buildings and such a unique look about it, Hashima is without a doubt something that would be very difficult to replicate anywhere else in the world.
*An interesting fact, if you've ever seen the James Bond movie "Skyfall", this island is used as the basis for the villain's hideout*
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| Aerial view |
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| Closer look |
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| What you can expect to see |
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