Hashima Island: Why did the Japanese abruptly leave the prosperous island? (5 photos)

Buildings overgrown with weeds and moss, gaping as if empty eye sockets, broken windows - Hashima Island, like a ghost ship, inspires a depressing mood.





Hashima Island

This piece of sushi has indeed become a decoration for several horror films. It is all the more surprising that just half a century ago Hasima was the most populous place in the world.

On the site of 0.063 km² (nine football fields) there were 30 apartment buildings, 25 supermarkets, school, hospital, casino, a brothel and even a cemetery.

What made people leave the prosperous island, and why is Hashima still closed to tourists?

Hashima is a piece of rock located in the open ocean in the very south of the Japanese Islands.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, its only inhabitants were marine birds. Occasionally, fishermen who waited out bad weather.



small island in the sea

They then noticed Hasima's secret, which influenced fate in the future the entire region. We are talking about large reserves of fossil coal. Before 1970s years, coal was the second most valuable energy resource, widely used as a fuel and raw material for industry.

Coal was found in 1810. Until 1869, it was collected only local residents, and then serious mining companies came here.

However, business didn't work. Periodic earthquakes and high waves that swept the workers' houses out to sea and flooded the mines, made mining an extremely dangerous and unprofitable occupation.

Everything changed in 1890 when the campaign came to the island. Mitsubishi. The concern brought with it modern technologies and Western specialists. The latter built reinforced concrete along the perimeter of Khashima. barriers, turning the rock into a fortress.





Reinforced concrete fences on Hasim

So Hashima began to be called by the local Japanese - Gunkanjima ("cruiser").

It's amazing how money and technology can create a piece Paradise in the most unsuitable place for this. Hasima, for a while time, became such Paradise.

To attract workers to the island, the campaign offered the most "delicious" conditions that the Japanese could only have in the 20th century. High salary, free comfortable housing, full social package and the opportunity to move to a mining town with the whole family.

All related infrastructure was created: a kindergarten, school, hospital, cinema, two swimming pools, club. For the more down to earth people who came here alone, provided for the "House of Delights" and casino. People spent fortunes here.



Hasima in the best years

Coal production has grown to 150,000 tons per year. Three mines, one of which went 600 meters underground. In wartime a factory was even placed on Hasim.

In 1959, the population reached 5.5 thousand people. It is worth recalling that they lived on 6.3 hectares of land!

Hasima's tragedy was that in 1970 coal began end! In 1974, Mitsubishi announced the final closure of production. The mining town was empty in a week.

To save people from the temptation to plunder empty premises, the government took the island under protection, and the campaign management failed mines.

For foreigners, a visit to Hasima threatens with deportation, and for The Japanese are subject to heavy fines. However, the city has become unsafe by itself. Infrastructure has degraded and threatens to collapse from careless step.



Hasima today

However, you can still look at the ruins of the "cruiser". Google Street View filmed all the buildings in detail and take a walk through the back streets of Hasima can be online.

Finally, in 2015, UNESCO listed Hasima as a World heritage, and local authorities have provided the opportunity for individual tours to the island in a guided campaign.