I’ve decided to create more english content on my blog to be more interesting and readable for an international audience. This is my first try and I will decide later if I’ll switch completely to english blog posts. If you want more English blog posts (or not) feel free to tweet me @alexanderhorl 😉
So lets start with the infamous Hashima Island in Japan.
Hashima Island, commonly called Gunkanjima (meaning Battleship Island), is an abandoned island lying about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city of Nagasaki, in southern Japan. The island’s most notable features are the abandoned historical concrete buildings, undisturbed except by nature, and the surrounding sea wall. While the island is a symbol of rapid industrialization of Japan, it is also a reminder of its dark history as a site of forced labor prior to and during the Second World War.
The 6.3-hectare island was known for its undersea coal mines, established in 1887, which operated during the industrialization of Japan. The island reached a peak population of 5,259 in 1959. In 1974, with coal supplies nearing depletion, the mine was closed and all of the residents departed soon after, leaving the island effectively abandoned for the following three decades.
**Trivia: **Although exterior footage of the island is featured, no scenes of the 2012 James Bond Movie Skyfall were filmed on the island itself. Exterior sets of the island were recreated using a combination of CGI and practical effects at Pinewood Studios in Great Britain.