Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-04 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go.
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Our guide
Hashima, better known as Gunkanjima or “Battleship Island”, lies about 15 km off the centre of Nagasaki, and is reached by sea. From the water it lives up to the nickname: a 6.3-hectare rock packed with abandoned concrete buildings behind a high seawall, left to the weather since the people went.
It is worth going with both halves of its story in mind. Undersea coal mines opened here in 1887, and the island became a symbol of Japan's rapid industrialisation, peaking at 5,259 residents in 1959. It is also a site of forced labour before and during the Second World War, and a reminder of that.
Back in the city, Dejima tells an earlier chapter of Nagasaki's history.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- 軍艦島 Gunkanjima Island (Warship Island) - panoramio — mahlervv · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- 高島の軍艦島が見える丘から見た軍艦島 — 出島商人 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Hashima Island 2023 — ノーマルエディタ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Hashima, Nagasaki, Japan, 20240814 1421 3377 — Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- Hashima, Nagasaki, Japan, 20240814 1424 3412 — Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- Hashima, Nagasaki, Japan, 20240814 1421 3385 — Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Hashima Island (端島; or simply Hashima, as -shima is a Japanese suffix for 'island'), commonly called Gunkanjima (軍艦島; meaning 'Battleship Island'), is an abandoned island about 15 kilometres (8 nautical miles) from the centre of Nagasaki, Japan. It is one of 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. The island's most notable features are its abandoned concrete buildings, undisturbed except by nature, and the surrounding seawall. While the island is a symbol of the rapid industrialisation of Japan, it is also a reminder of Japanese war crimes as a site of forced labour prior to and during World War II.The 6.3-hectare (16-acre) island was known for its undersea coal mines, established in 1887, which operated during the industrialisation of Japan. The island reached a peak population of 5,259 in 1959.
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-04 · Nagasaki City: revised facility charges from April 2026 · Gunkanjima Concierge: cruise fares and landing charges
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Island
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Where to stay nearby
Hotels near Hashima (Gunkanjima) cruise on Agoda
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