Hashima Island is located about 40 minutes by boat from Nagasaki Port. This small undersea coal mine island is an artificial island built by reclaiming land around a reef. The island is surrounded by cliffs and high-rise reinforced concrete buildings, and its appearance resembles the battleship "Tosa," hence the nickname "Battleship Island." At its peak in 1960, it was home to about 5,300 people, making it the most densely populated island in Japan at the time. The island is fully equipped with elementary and junior high schools, a hospital, and entertainment facilities such as movie theaters and pachinko parlors, so it seems that people could live all their lives on the island.

The coal from Hashima Coal Mine was of very high quality, and together with the neighboring Takashima Coal Mine, it contributed greatly to the modernization of Japan. However, as the main source of energy shifted from coal to oil, the mine went into a steady decline, and closed in 1974. The islanders left the island with mixed feelings in their hearts, and it became uninhabited.

In 2009, it became possible for the general public to land on Gunkanjima, and now many people visit the island by taking part in landing tours.
In July 2015, it was officially registered as a World Heritage Site as part of "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining."
Board the Gunkanjima Landing Tour Boat from Nagasaki Port (approx. 40 minutes)

*To land on Gunkanjima, you will need to join a Gunkanjima landing tour operated by a shipping company.
However, there may be cases where landing is not possible due to weather conditions, etc.
For reservations or inquiries regarding boarding, please contact the respective shipping companies.

[Shipping company notice]
・Yamasa Kaiun Co., Ltd. Tel. 095-822-5002 https://www.yamasa-kaiun.net/
・Gunkanjima Cruise Co., Ltd. Tel. 095-827-2470 https://www.gunkanjima-cruise.jp/
・Seaman Shokai Co., Ltd. Tel. 095-818-1105 https://www.gunkanjima-tour.jp/
・Gunkanjima Concierge Tel. 095-895-9300 https://www.gunkanjima-concierge.com/
・The Seventh Ebisumaru Tel. 090-8225-8107 http://www.7ebisumaru.com/cruise/