Creepy Travel: Japan's Abandoned Hashima Island Now Open for Tourists

Abandoned towns are always fun to visit, and they're even more enticing if they've been off-limits for decades. Such is the case with Japan's Hashima Island, more commonly known as Battleship Island. This speck of an island about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki was once home to the densest population in the world, housing thousands of workers between 1887 and 1974 who harvested coal from the sea floor for the massive Mitsubishi company.

At its productive peak in 1959, nearly 1,400 people per hectare lived in its residential district, eking out a tough living and sending their wages home to their families on the mainland. Due to the rise of oil and the fall of coal as a fuel in the latter half of the 20th century, however, the operation eventually became unproductive, and the island was abandoned and placed off limits.

Now, after more than 30 years, tourists are finally allowed to visit the island and explore the daunting concrete towers and industrial buildings that once buzzed with life. But don't expect white sand beaches and palm trees. Rather, it seems like the setting for some noirish anime film like Spirited Away, so be sure to bring a video camera, lucky amulet, and maybe a flask of sake to strengthen your resolve as you enter its dark chambers. Oh, and watch out for ghosts.

[Photo: DirJournal]

Related Stories:
· Hashima Island Reopens to Travel after 20 Years [Traveling Light]
· Abandoned Places [DirJournal]
· Scary Travel [Jaunted]

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